Not emergency. Odd urates with clear loose gel, daily on poop tray. Normal?

[ChicoryBlue]

Buckeyes, 24 weeks, 4 pullets and one roo, pullets ought to be coming into lay now if it weren't for the low daylight (Northeast USA). Seeing this daily on the poop tray, in the same location so suspect one chicken, for the last week or so. Haven't observed it otherwise, but that would be harder to find in their run.
This is today's. There's a clear gel on top, it's goopy like egg whites, that's why I'm wondering if it's related to sexual maturity or if it's a coincidince. Normal looking urates under it. Nobody is acting off, but one pullet may be neurologically challenged, so may have other issues that could arise as she matures.

 

[Eggcessive]

The urates still look white in amongst the yellow material. I would wonder about a reproductive disorder. Are they all eating well? Do you see one who has a lowered tail position, or any vent or feather pecking? Do any have any enlargement under the vent? Do you have a vet who will do a fecal float to rule out coccidia and worms?

 

[ChicoryBlue]

The urates still look white in amongst the yellow material. I would wonder about a reproductive disorder. Are they all eating well? Do you see one who has a lowered tail position, or any vent or feather pecking? Do any have any enlargement under the vent? Do you have a vet who will do a fecal float to rule out coccidia and worms?

The white and yellow are close in texture, then there’s clear fluid on top. All are eating well. All other poops look normal too, which to me points to a non-digestive issue, likely reproductive. I do have a vet I could do a test with. I have equipment here actually, though my microscope has a bit of stuff lodged in there somewhere I haven’t figured out yet.

I’ll examine the pullets.

No one is acting off, but one pullet, Lizbel, has been an anomaly from the very beginning, and I did not expect her to live this long. As a chick (they are from Cackle Hatchery) she had obviously bulging eyes within a week, and, more worrying, a tendency to doze off or pass out standing when inactive. She appeared to be at death’s door in this manner for weeks.

But she persisted, kept growing and taking care of her needs. She tends to stand around and not forage, maybe she’s napping, or her eyes aren’t comfortable - it does appear bright light isn’t great for her - and she closes them and that brings on a nap? She’ll suddenly “wake up” and follow everyone when she finds herself alone. She can run and play and fly. She is not actually disabled in any way that’s visible, except she has an appearance of blindness or extreme myopia but does actually see the tiniest things. I do think she doesn’t see depth well because she takes two pecks to pick up a food item. It wouldn’t surprise me if she is not developed correctly internally.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I did notice Lizbel’s stance might be a bit penguin-like, but she sinks down when she “naps” and it was hard to tell.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

No blob of goop today. In my concern (panic) I must be exaggerating how often this has been occurring. Thinking on it, I’ve seen it a few times, and the recent case was twice in two days, which prompted me to post. So now I don’t know what to think….it’s obviously not every day.

Today’s pullets exam turned up nothing. I will examine the roo today or tomorrow.

But of the pullets, nobody had any distension or lumps or hardness in the belly, in fact I had a hard time finding much belly to prod before I got to the vent muscles under there (need to repeat, was that firmness actually muscles? It was moving…) they seem to have skeletons going all the way back! Very different from the mature hens. I will feel again tomorrow.

Vents: also hard to find but normal. Their Buckeye fluff is extremely dense back there. Nobody has been pecking/ bothering anybody else’s vent. They all looked fine, a pale skin color (yellowish for Buckeyes), no red or wounded places.

Keels: everybody is in good condition except Lizbel who is under-condition, but she’s not bad.

 

[Debbie292d]

Do they have oyster shell available to them? I'd wonder if Lizbel or one of them is going to start laying eggs and having difficulties. It would help if you could fence off an area just for her for an hour or so to see if that's her poop or not.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Do they have oyster shell available to them? I'd wonder if Lizbel or one of them is going to start laying eggs and having difficulties. It would help if you could fence off an area just for her for an hour or so to see if that's her poop or not.

I saw her poop yesterday or the day before, and it was normal, so it’s not her, or it’s not consistent. Yes, they have both oyster shell and crushed egg shells available. I do suspect it’s something to do with getting ready to lay.