Is it a grit problem?

2150MormonRd

Chirping
Nov 9, 2020
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Only one of my hens is having digestive issues it seems. The food comes out undigested. I've included a pic of hers next to the others. They are on free choice pasture and organic grains all day. Their run is river sand so they do have choice for grit. I suspect one of my Easter eggers. Both have been having shell issues with external calcium deposits and thin shells. They are 1 yr old. The other hens are heritage breeds. They have been wormed and are on a schedule of Vermx as well. No one is ill or has been. The poop problem has been daily for about 2 weeks. I'm worried.
 

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Hello! I hope you are doing well. :hugs I’m sorry to hear that your chicken isn’t doing well...could you possibly post a picture of her? Also, what type/brand of feed to give your chickens, and what other treats/food do you offer? That would greatly help to get down to the source of what’s going on.
A few causes could be a pathogen or moldy feed...
I would recommend feeding special grit to your chickens, not river sand, as it may be too fine. Something like this:
1616725506740.jpeg

I hope you figure out what is going on! ❤️
 
Hello! I hope you are doing well. :hugs I’m sorry to hear that your chicken isn’t doing well...could you possibly post a picture of her? Also, what type/brand of feed to give your chickens, and what other treats/food do you offer? That would greatly help to get down to the source of what’s going on.
A few causes could be a pathogen or moldy feed...
I would recommend feeding special grit to your chickens, not river sand, as it may be too fine. Something like this:
View attachment 2585765
I hope you figure out what is going on! ❤️

Their food is New Country Organics Layer Feed. It's a brand new bag bought 7 days ago. They get leftover cooked oatmeal, baby kale, and radish tops for treats. This is Athena, the EE. The river sand is a mixed particulate, they've been fine up until about 2 weeks ago. Time change?
 

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Their food is New Country Organics Layer Feed. It's a brand new bag bought 7 days ago. They get leftover cooked oatmeal, baby kale, and radish tops for treats. This is Athena, the EE. The river sand is a mixed particulate, they've been fine up until about 2 weeks ago. Time change?
Hmm, this is a tough case. Sounds like the food is pretty good to go. It’s possible that she has decided that she doesn’t want to eat the river sand for the grit...generally, they do better with larger pieces of grit. If possible, maybe try buying a bag...?
Could you possibly check the suspect's crop right when she’s going to bed, and then check it in the morning before she eats anything? Let me know what it feels like each time. Is it squishy? Or very hard?
 
Hmm, this is a tough case. Sounds like the food is pretty good to go. It’s possible that she has decided that she doesn’t want to eat the river sand for the grit...generally, they do better with larger pieces of grit. If possible, maybe try buying a bag...?
Could you possibly check the suspect's crop right when she’s going to bed, and then check it in the morning before she eats anything? Let me know what it feels like each time. Is it squishy? Or very hard?
I got some grit as you suggested this morning and put it out for them. Also crop check last night was full and firm (not hard) and this morning empty. I didn't get any grainy poop out of the coop (I scoop it every morning) but will check through out the day. It's interesting to me that the change happened maybe three weeks ago. Especially with the eggs. Maybe too much powdered oyster shell or even too much nutritional yeast? I had added that to their food, but didn't with the new bag last week. Maybe I overdosed them and she is just sensitive. The other EE has had shell issues but none of the other 7 have. Its so strange that it is just them.
 
Too many treats - so much corn in that poop, I don’t think I’d digest that either. They do not need oats and tons of carbs, maybe as an occasional treat only. I would offer them nothing but their regular feed for a few days (not feed with seeds / corn / added carbs - regular layer feed, Flock Raiser or All Flock). Too many treats are a bad thing and they binge on these things, especially corn. They pick it out of their Normal feed and then become deficient in vitamins and minerals and it messes up their digestion.
 
Too many treats - so much corn in that poop, I don’t think I’d digest that either. They do not need oats and tons of carbs, maybe as an occasional treat only. I would offer them nothing but their regular feed for a few days (not feed with seeds / corn / added carbs - regular layer feed, Flock Raiser or All Flock). Too many treats are a bad thing and they binge on these things, especially corn. They pick it out of their Normal feed and then become deficient in vitamins and minerals and it messes up their digestion.
There is no corn in this feed. That's some sort of yellow pea. They were doing fine on corn in the feed till 7 days ago and only one of them is having an issue. I only give them treats once or twice a week.
 
Here are her eggs. Consistently thin shells since three weeks ago.
 

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