Help! I think paranoia is starting again/gapeworm?

[Jsto]

My chicks are about to hit the 4 week mark and everything seems/seemed to be going well. Everyone is active and appears to be healthy. I freaked out a while ago over a bit of loose stool, but found out that the cecal poo (sorry for lack of a more technical term!) was normal every few poos or so. Well, within the past few days it's kind of gotten out of hand.

I've seen all the chicks poo normally, but there seems to be an excessive amount of the 'cecal', which I'm noticing more and more when I bring them out to play. Now I've just read somewhere that this should only be happening 2 to 4 times a day! It's definitely more than that.

So, enter google, which happens to be the usual hub of my paranoia. Now I'm worried about coccidiosis. I ordered from Mypetchicken which only offered the Mareks vac. From my research, I was under the impression that the chances of chicks getting cocci was very slim if there were housed somewhere where no other chickens had ever been. Is that wrong?

The stool is an orangish/sepia type brown and quite potent in the odor department. It doesn't look bloody to me, but I'm not sure how a chicken's bloody stool would look. Like I said, they do pass completely solid poos, then comes one that's half solid with a bit of run, then the giant glob of grossness comes out.

I did change feed over the weekend as my usual feedstore was out, would that cause such a problem? It's been almost an entire week since then, so if that was the case, wouldn't it have been resolved by now? They have been and continue to be on unmedicated feed.

Am I freaking for no reason? Earlier today, I had convinced myself that between 6 chickens who have grown like crazy and are definitely pooping more, it just seems like a lot of the runny stuff, but it's normal. But I do not want to end up with ill or dead chicks because I made a wrong assumption.

If need be, I can take a picture of the poo. I had just cleaned some off my leg earlier and the paper towel is still right on top in the bin. I'm not above digging through the garbage to ensure that my babies are ok.

Please help! Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Just wanted to add that everyone is very active and seemingly healthy. They eat like little pigs and drink like crazy.

 

[Alleyoops25]

If the feed that you had to switch to has different ingredients then it may end up changing the color of their poop. There should be a tag on you bag, compare it to the tag of the feed you have switched them to. Your chicks may also are having a hard time adjusting to the new food, usually I change their food gradually. I think it is probably all right, just make sure they are getting enough fluids, if you think there is a possibility that they are getting dehydrated the add some elctrolytes to their water. Give it a day or to and they should be fine

 

[MTchick]

I think that what you are seeing is a normal reaction to a change in diet. If you are "letting them out to play" in the grass, then they are probably eating the grass a little bit. This is good for them, but it will alter their digestion because it is new and different. You might want to make grit available to them to help them with the grass.

Is the wet poo frothy/bubbly? That is a bad sign from what I've read. Other than that, what you are describing sounds fairly normal. I think you might be overanalyzing a little bit. Keep an eye on it, of course, but it sounds like they are just adjusting to the grass in their diet and probably the new dry food, too.

I hope other people have the same opinion on your chicks' health. Good luck!

-MTchick

 

[Jsto]

The original feed bag is gone, unfortunately, but I can run to my feedstore to compare. I can almost guarantee there are different ingredients as the feed looks completely different, not just in shape, but in colour. The change was semi-gradual, only because I wasn't expecting to have to change feed at all. I've been storing their feed in a container that doesn't take the entire bag, so I didn't realise I was almost out of feed rather than just needing to fill the container up again and ended up running out on a whim to pick some up before they emptied their feeder.

Like I said, they are eating and drinking like normal. I'm not as worried about the colour of their poop as I am about the consistency and frequency. I really don't think it looks like bloody stool at all (again, I don't really know though) and when they poop solid, it's the normal colour with a healthy white spot. The runny poop is a bit lighter than it was previously, but not by much. There just seems to be so much of it lately. Which started scaring me tonight after reading up on various diseases and such whilst trying to finish putting together my chicken notebook.

Thank you for the reply. I feel ridiculous as it is probably nothing at all, but I've grown quite attached to these girls and worry about them horribly. I'll be keeping a close eye on them to make sure they continue eating and drinking healthily.

 

[Jsto]

Quote:
They are munching on grass a bit, but not very frequently because it's been so awful hot. We have started treating them within the past few weeks (a big of yogurt every once in a while and crickets on two occassions) and there is always grit available while I'm treating, I was just worried because the frequency of the wet poo seemed to increase crazily recently.

I've seen the tiniest bit of froth at the top of a poo previously, but not recently.

I know I'm probably overanalyzing and probably more than a little bit! I'm brand new to this and get worried over the fact that a small mistake on my part could cost a chick its life. I feel like a new mom. I swear, the first night their in the coop, I'll probably end up in there with a cot!

Thank you for the reply. I feel like you all are my support group in all of this, helping me from going completely over the deep end! I just tend to feel a bit overwhelmed by my inexperience sometimes.

 

[kstaven]

It does sound like the fecal material you are seeing is a result of browsing outside. What you are reading for averages is likely based on chickens raised indoors on a strict commercial diet. My chicks are allowed to graze and what comes out the other end some days would concern many. But it is normal for chicks eating more than the standard commercial bill of fair.

 

[silkiechicken]

They are probally fine and the changes are due to what everyone else has to say. If you do see bloody poo though, you'll know it. It literally looks like blood that is half clotted. Had it happen once, and as long as you get them on amp quick, they will be fine.

 

[Jsto]

Thanks guys. I definitely feel a bit more at ease now. I like that my girls are able to play outside because it seems a bit more natural to me, so I can handle the trade off! Just glad to know it's normal rather than something to be alarmed about.

 

[schmoo]

My chicks "poo" did that too about a day after they were allowed outside. I just figured it was because of the bugs and the grass. SO don't worry because mine have been fine since. Their poo is a little different each time they get a treat too. But then I had to keep them in the other day because of rain and back to harder poo. Geez, did you ever think you'd care so much about poo?!

 

[Jsto]

Quote:
Never in my wildest imaginings