Help! Reddish poop!

[larsonll]

My ten chicks are almost 3 weeks old and really thriving in their brooder on my back porch with a heat lamp. They have grown exponentially, and are fed medicated feed by Purina. I clean the brooder about 3 times a week, completely removing all the shavings & line with new newspaper. They are in a very large cardboard box, which, of course, I cannot really clean.

This evening, I noted 2 piles of reddish poop. Really just a tint. I have introduced a watermelon slice a day for the last 3 days (with grit). No one, and I mean no one, is acting sick in the least. Would you be worried about the reddish poop? It is not frankly bloody. Is Cocci poop really bloody?

 

[AccentOnHakes]

Might be Cocci.

 

[Orangina]

Can you post a pic? How does it smell? (I know, totally gross.)

I completely freaked out when I discovered the infamous cecal poop, which can have a slightly...terra cotta look to it (and oh, does it stink). I don't have any experience with cocci (thankfully), but from what you're describing, it might just be the aforementioned poop. Hopefully someone else with more experience will come along and reassure you, and good luck with your chicks!

 

[larsonll]

I'll try to post pics if I see some tomorrow. The light was not good enough to take pics when I noticed it. Plus, under the heat lamp, nothing looks right! Thanks everyone!

 

[Amore Galline]

You've been feeding watermelon?
Hmmmm. When we've fed ours tomatoes, I see red poop. Kinda freaked me out until I put together that it happened after they got the tomatoes. Two days later with no tomatoes, no red poop.
My guess would be it's watermelon passing through not quite digested.

 

[ChickasaurusRex]

Oh Gawd the CECAL POOP!?! ....

.... been there smelled that

 

[humpbacks1962]

That medicated feed gave mine reddish poop too. Kind of runny as well.
I bought the one at Agway.
Once I switched them to the grower feed the poopi was fine

 

[MEchickenfarmer33]

It depends is there red bloody globs in it??? If there is globs of blood then that is cocci. If there is a little blood then it should be fine

 

[larsonll]

It was the watermelon. I stopped melon for a day. No one is sick and all brown poop. Who knew?

 

[pgpoultry]

Don't tell non-chicken keepers that you regularly inspect the poop....they may try to get you committed.

Seriously, though, foods do alter the poop a lot....and blackberries, beetroot etc make it jet black like altered blood, too.