Is this Diarrhea?

[Rick&Chris]

A couple of my almost 5 week old chicks have loose stool - or diarrhea. Both of their poops looked like this (sorry for this post at breakfast time!). Is this normal?

They are on chick starter food, water with Quik Chik (vitamins and electrolytes for poultry). They are in the coop and have access daily to the outside pen (it is in the mid 30’s and into the 50-60s during the day, hopefully that’s not too cold for them, but they do go inside regularly where the MHP and the heat lamp is). The only food I’ve given them otherwise is occasional mealworms or scambled eggs.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

A couple of my almost 5 week old chicks have loose stool - or diarrhea. Both of their poops looked like this (sorry for this post at breakfast time!). Is this normal?

They are on chick starter food, water with Quik Chik (vitamins and electrolytes for poultry). They are in the coop and have access daily to the outside pen (it is in the mid 30’s and into the 50-60s during the day, hopefully that’s not too cold for them, but they do go inside regularly where the MHP and the heat lamp is). The only food I’ve given them otherwise is occasional mealworms or scambled eggs.

Looks like Cecal poop to me. Do you also see fully formed, firm poop as well?
How often do they get the Quik Chick? At 5 weeks old, I would only give that at the most once a week.
Make sure they have access to a source of grit too.

If they are active, eating/drinking and no one is acting lethargic or staying by themselves, you should be fine.

 

[Rick&Chris]

Looks like Cecal poop to me. Do you also see fully formed, firm poop as well?
How often do they get the Quik Chick? At 5 weeks old, I would only give that at the most once a week.
Make sure they have access to a source of grit too.

If they are active, eating/drinking and no one is acting lethargic or staying by themselves, you should be fine.

I will have to Google that! I do see normal formed poop as well. They appear to be eating and drinking normally, they do have access to grit. I give them the quick chick every day, that was recommended by Murray McMurray hatchery. I can certainly change that to once a week if you think that is the issue

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You may find the following article interesting. It shows the different "types" of poop you may see. Chickens have 2 types of poop. One is "normal" and the other is "cecal".
The normal is a formed pooped usually with a white cap while the cecal poop is a loose, stinky poop. Color and consistency can vary greatly depending on diet, weather, how much water a chicken is drinking, etc.
https://the-chicken-chick.com/whats-scoop-on-chicken-poop-digestive/

Vitamins and Electrolytes are fine to give, but if chickens are healthy and eating a balanced poultry feed, the really should not need "extras". However, I do like to add vitamins to my wet feed once a week myself.
I would worry that the Quik Chik has too much salt for long term daily use. I've never used it, but it looks like a good product to have on hand. The instructions/description at MM are a bit vague, but I don't see where it's meant for continual use. Once a week, I think it would be just fine.
""It will help overcome shipping stress, and get them off to a good start.""
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/quik_chik.html

 

[Rick&Chris]

You may find the following article interesting. It shows the different "types" of poop you may see. Chickens have 2 types of poop. One is "normal" and the other is "cecal".
The normal is a formed pooped usually with a white cap while the cecal poop is a loose, stinky poop. Color and consistency can vary greatly depending on diet, weather, how much water a chicken is drinking, etc.
https://the-chicken-chick.com/whats-scoop-on-chicken-poop-digestive/

Vitamins and Electrolytes are fine to give, but if chickens are healthy and eating a balanced poultry feed, the really should not need "extras". However, I do like to add vitamins to my wet feed once a week myself.
I would worry that the Quik Chik has too much salt for long term daily use. I've never used it, but it looks like a good product to have on hand. The instructions/description at MM are a bit vague, but I don't see where it's meant for continual use. Once a week, I think it would be just fine.
""It will help overcome shipping stress, and get them off to a good start.""
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/quik_chik.html

Thanks! I actually called Murray about something else a couple of weeks ago and they suggested Quik Chik daily and forever, and “it is good for them to have” .... but they sell it, too, so ....

I’ll give the Quik Chik a break for a week and see how they do. The coop is filled mostly with good poop (). Oh my, that is gross! LOL

 

[aart]

Oh my, that is gross!

Nope, for chickeneers it's normal and good to keep an eye on poops.
If the eyes are the window to the soul, poop is the window to the body.

 

[Saaniya]

Its cecal poop its dark like melt chocolate and stink bad a normal healthy chicken pass about 2-8 cecal dropping depending on how much fiber he eat