Help: Need opinions and advise!!!!

[JaciesCoop]

One of my 5 month olds standard cochin girls has been acting like she might lay her first egg any time.
This morning when I let them out of the coop to eat their snacks she came right up to me which she usually does and dropped the worst looking runny poop I have ever seen and it had white clear mucus in it. It was HUGE. and it smelled terrible!! Was this an aborted egg?
She seems fine. Not sick. Is there anything I should be doing for her?

Thanks ahead for any help.
Jacie

 

[PurpleChicken]

I gotta ask the obvious.

Is she getting enough calcium? What kind of feed is she eating? Do you
put out oyster shell?

 

[JaciesCoop]

Quote:
She's getting laying pellets, scratch, a mix of lotsa goodies in the morning and oyster shell is out all the time. They also get Avian Charge2000.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Hopefully one of the experts will chime in on this.

My feeling is she will lay when she is ready and her body is just getting
ready to do so.

 

[JaciesCoop]

Quote:

I've been thinking that for 2 weeks. I was just afraid this was a shelless egg. She's now back in her nesting box clucking off and on to beat the band!!

 

[pollysmum]

All birds have smelly droppings several times a day... they are called cecal droppings... some are very dark... others loose.. but all very smelly

It wasn't an aborted egg... honest..

The fact that she has very wet droppings indicates that your giving more treats and not enough layer feed... cut back on corn or maise.. and any feed scraps.. especially lettuce.. it may be causing her to have runny droppings

If you find they are not eating the layer feed... it is a bit on the bland side... try mixing in some grated carrot and add hot water to make it into a wet mash.. not runny... just wet and warm... they love it

I also put in grated apple... by the way... the carrot must be grated as they can't digest it properly if it isn't ..

Apple will help them with their digestion..

 

[JaciesCoop]

Thanks Pollysmum: They just get the treats early morning and not that much at one time. They seem to be eating well the rest of the day. I'll try the apple but when I've given it to them before they just look at me like "you've got to be kidding" LOL!

Thanks for the help and I know about the poop but this had to be at least a quarter of a cup full. That's what startled me.

Jacie

 

[pollysmum]

Any bird that has large dropping its usually an indicator that she has gone broody.. has she been sitting on a nest longer than usual... they hold droppings until they get up to walk about

Did she sleep on a nest all night ... as they usually do dropping throughout the night... it will be either one of these reasons why she had such a large dropping

Nothing to worry about

If she is going broody.... and you don't want her to hatch or you don't have a rooster there for you don't have fertile eggs... you will need to put her into another section without any nests or nesting material... some place safe and warm of course... out of the elements... but out of her normal routine ... leave her in this area for 3 days.. make sure she has plenty of food and water...

Return her to the flock after 3 days... if she returns straight to a nest.. return her to the isolation area for another 3 days.. same process..

The longer you allow a broody hen to sit on a nest if it has eggs or not... the longer it will take her to get over being broody... she will not eat properly and she will not drink properly... if she has one louse... then with her body temperature rising this will multiply into 1000 within 2 days.. so remember to dust her with a poultry dusting powder... don't spray her she won't dry properly as she won't be moving around enough

Also remember to secure the food and water... when they are put into isolation when broody they tend to have temper tantrums... and tip over anything they can

If she is in full broody mode.. she will scream.. yell at you .. curse you... refuse to eat for 2 maybe even 3 days... just keep the food and water ready for her when she is ready to eat and calm down... and ignore her as best you can

She will also pace up and down ... don't watch her it will drive you crazy.. and stress you out .. I know..

 

[JaciesCoop]

Wow! Great points. Yes she has been sitting longer but they haven't even started laying yet. But she's trying. I don't want her to go broody until spring because of the cold here. Then she can all she wants.
I do have a roo but so far the girls have shown no interest in him.
She was nesting today and talking up a storm. I thought maybe we had an egg on the way but no such luck
We are going to be gone for 5 days starting Weds and my neighbor is going to take care of them. She has many chickens so she said "5 more is no problem" so she will be coming over twice a day. I just know I'm going to get my 1st egg while I'm gone!!

Thanks for all the great pointers and you and yours have a Very Merry Christmas


Jacie

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

On the other hand..

In addition to reddened and enlarged combs, I've found larger poop to be part of the 'normal' process of getting ready.. sort of a byproduct of heading into adulthood.. and starts shortly before egglaying.

I'm sure it *could* be a sign of illness, but just before they started laying I noticed a TON of REALLY large poop in the henhouse and run.

Meghan