Mystery poo - the chicken with the ink poop

[beesanddeesfarm]

Recently we took on 2 chickens who NEEDED a home. The conditions they were in we're not ideal, their food was also incorrect to say the least.

Brought them home last night, got them on proper layer mash and water.

Today they're perky and relatively calm but one pooed a poo that I have never seen before. It was like someone had taken one of those old fashioned black ink bottles and just ker-splotched it on the towels they're on. Can't take a picture of it cause it literally seeped through the towels.

Their breed is some kind of hybrid, about 9 months old, they were laying haven't seen them lay yet.

Suggestions? Comments? Actions? Help...

 

[casportpony]

I've seen that once before in a very sick peacock that died three hours after I brought him home to treat for a neighbor. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that your bird is going to die, but it could. Any chance you can take it or a poo sample to the vet?

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Does it look like this? This picture is the contents of his cecal pouch. While he was alive it was this color, very watery and didn't have the bits of stuff in it, that's infection from the intestinal wall.



-Kathy

 

[realsis]

I would worm her incase she has a case of worms. Some can be microscopic and you wouldn't be able to see them. I did some research on the black poop for you but didn't come up with much. I read. If they have been eating a lot of slugs and worms it can cause that color. But I didn't find anything defiente. I would worm her and watch her very closely and see if the worming helps. I wish you the best.

 

[beesanddeesfarm]

Yeah it did look like that, without the bits, maybe even darker

Okay, well I'm hoping she'll pull through somehow. I've got her on electrolytes now. Otherwise she's not acting sick or listless, she's eating proper too.

I feel terrible..

 

[casportpony]

X2, I would also worm with something like Safeguard (fenbendazole) or Valbazen (albendazole).

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Yeah it did look like that, without the bits, maybe even darker

Okay, well I'm hoping she'll pull through somehow. I've got her on electrolytes now. Otherwise she's not acting sick or listless, she's eating proper too.

I feel terrible..

Now is probably a good time to get a baseline weight on her and if it doesn't start to clear up after worming or if she starts to lose weight, I'd start her on some antibiotics.

-Kathy

 

[beesanddeesfarm]

I've got worming treatment, see if I can get them started. We've only had them for 12 hours now.

I looked up black poo too thank you for doing so, but like you said there weren't too many conclusive results. I know these girls haven't gotten he proper nutrition they needed so maybe this poo is working through their system?

 

[casportpony]

Remember that Wazine (piperazine) only gets roundworms and ivermectin is not an effective worming in poultry, so I strongly suggest that you use Safeguard (liquid or paste) or Valbazen. I'm assuming you live in the US?

-Kathy

 

[dawg53]

I agree with all the recommendations in this thread. I also believe it might have been an improper diet that has caused the ink like feces. I recommend that you give them scrambled eggs mixed with buttermilk for 3 days after worming (not yogurt.) Then mix the scrambled eggs, buttermilk into their layer feed to make a mash for 3 more days. That should get their feces back to normal.