New Chicks

[farmerbob]

I am new to the chicken raising community so please bear with me. I have 16 brown leghorns chicks that seem to be growing quite well. I noticed today that there were some droppings that were dark brown & really wet unlike the others in the brooder. should I be concerned about this or is it normal. If anyone has an opinion I could sure use some feedback. I do not want what seems to be one chick infecting the rest of the group. Can I treat them all if some of them are not sick?

Many thanks,

Bob

 

[chicmom]

Hello Bob!

Don't worry, chickens have two types of droppings--the normal ones you've already seen, and then the rusty brownish ones you've described, which are called cecal droppings. They are totally normal and nothing to worry about.

Sharon

 

[Mervin]

Bob

I was alarmed by that when I started too. What I've noticed is that they really seem to do it when I'm in messing with them. When they're all excited or bothered. The first couple days we'd let them out on the floor to stretch their legs a bit (and to play with them), but it was really becoming a hassle to scrub every time. Now, they're just in a bigger brooder box.