NOT an emergency. Pooping BLACK poop?

[SilkiesForEver]

I just noticed lots of black, tar-like poop under my bird's roost. What could cause this? They don't seem to be doing poorly; they all have bright red combs and wattles..

 

[Chick Charm]

Diet.

All chickens should come with a warning....."Watch Out For The Tar" it will not come out of your clothes.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Quote:
So it's what they're eating? Lol! Thanks!

 

[member 142084]

I would not worry. I get those on occasion, mostly from the ducks.

 

[Wyandottes7]

I don't think that it is anything to worry about. It is most likely that you have found some cecal droppings, which come from the ceca (small pouches near the end of the large intestine), instead of from the intestine. Cecal droppings are runny, and can be varying colors like brown, reddish brown, or black.

 

[kpardey]

I have been having the same issue the past 24 hours with one chicken. Absolutely not cecal and they weren't runny or oily either. This morning there were only some in the coop and they had a bluish tint to them. Then it hit me. Blueberries! I have five chickens and they black poop culprit is the most greedy of the bunch... so it makes sense that she helped herself to the handful of blueberries I absent-mindedly threw into the coop the other day.

I just wanted to post this to calm any nerves of others that are looking for answers and coming back with nothing but disease and parasites as the reason. Scary stuff!