Runny, Carmel colored poo. Please help!!

[courtnicole2010]

i'm not sure what kind of chick i have. i got it from an anatomy class at a local high school. it will be a week old on this coming wednesday. My chick seems very healthy, it eats all the time and drinks a ton. It's poo is carmel colored and liquid-y. I'm very concerned about it. I'm not giving it any treatment as of now only because i don't know what to do. This is the first time i've had chicks. The brooder my chicks live in is a large tub from walmart with the top cut out of the lid with screen covering it. i have pine shaving in the bottom and a feeder and waterer from a local farm store. There is also a reflector lamp that is being replaced today for a better quality one. There is another chick with it and it's about 2 weeks old. But i had just moved them into this brooder from another one and it was doing fine while in the other brooder. It's getting around fine and doens't seem sick, i just don't know if i need to be concerned about its carmel-colored poo or not.

 

[ruth]

If it seems well I wouldn't be concerned about the poo. Sounds like what my week old and two week old's poo looks like. Those new babies can have some really runny and stinky poo that gets on you when you try to catch them or pick them up.

Actually I never pay any attention to the poo of the free ranging big girls because it changes so much based on what they eat.

 

[countyroad1330]

My grown chickens have poo like that on occasion. I freaked out about it when I first noticed, but was told by fellow BYC'ers that it is normal. I agree with Ruth, as long as its eating, drinking, and acting normal, I would not worry about it.

Can you get any pictures of the chick?

 

[Redfeathers]

My babies have poo like that and then a normal one later. I just figured it's not unusual since they are healthy and happy, eating and drinking like troopers and growing up way too fast.

 

[courtnicole2010]

Thanks a lot for the help. i'll get a picture up soon=]

 

[ruth]

I have a funny story about those cute new little baby chicks and that stinky runny brown poo.

We had visitors recently and they had three little boys. I was showing them the baby chicks which were about 3 days old. I asked them if they wanted to hold one. So I showed one little boy how to cup his hands and wait for me to put the chick in them. As I was doing so, it let loose with that runny, stinky, caramel colored poo. It got on his shirt and his hands. Poor kid just stood there petrified, frozen solid, eyes big as saucers, hands still cupped together - but, bless his heart, he didn't move but he surely didn't want to hold it after that and neither did his two older brothers.

 

[RedTailRanch]

LOL! Loved that story Ruth!

I was actually looking around for some answers on this topic. I have noticed a few dark runny poops in the brooder (chicks are 6 weeks old). I usually notice this right after I clean the brooder out, and wondered if the stress (they hate it when I take them all out to clean it) could affect them this way.

Also, after I cleaned the brooder yesterday I gave them all a treat of mealworms and apples. The one Roo who ate ALOT of the apple, later had a dark runny poop. I wondered if the treats (especially the apple) could have caused it.

He is very active, eats a lot, drinks fine, no other signs that anything is wrong. It sounds like this stuff is not uncommon and that I shouldn't worry about it, but since I also have some of the AE affected chicks (in a separtate brooder), I guess I am a little paranoid.