Started free ranging flock, poop changed to this, is it normal?

[TheVillageCarpenter]

Hi folks, last week or so started letting my chickens (no idea if they're roosters or hens yet) range about in the yard. mostly our lawn consists of small grasses, plantains, still dead grass from last year , etc. it's heavy clay/rocky soil in Nova Scotia.

They went from perfectly solid droppings to this. is this a cause for alarm at all or just them adapting to the grasses, bugs etc they're finding? I also find they won't touch vegetables or fruits. i've tried carrot peelings, blueberries, bananas, lettuces, cucumbers all cut into small bite size pieces for them, they're 8 weeks old today (may 11th) 9 black australorps & 3 amerucaunas.

Sorry if I didn't post in the right area. thanks in advance for the replies folks.

 

[Eggcessive]

That dropping looks perfectly fine. It is a mixture of solid with some white urates and a little cecal poop (the lighter brown. ) Cecal poops come from the 2 blind pouches or ceca in the intestines (between the small and large intestines) and occur every so often throughout the day. Cecal poop is shiny, sticky, and more smelly than regular droppings. Here is some reading about poops:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/whats-scoop-on-chicken-poop-digestive/

 

[WindingRoad]

Hi folks, last week or so started letting my chickens (no idea if they're roosters or hens yet) range about in the yard. mostly our lawn consists of small grasses, plantains, still dead grass from last year , etc. it's heavy clay/rocky soil in Nova Scotia.

They went from perfectly solid droppings to this. is this a cause for alarm at all or just them adapting to the grasses, bugs etc they're finding? I also find they won't touch vegetables or fruits. i've tried carrot peelings, blueberries, bananas, lettuces, cucumbers all cut into small bite size pieces for them, they're 8 weeks old today (may 11th) 9 black australorps & 3 amerucaunas.

Sorry if I didn't post in the right area. thanks in advance for the replies folks.

They sound like my 4 birds. BO, ISAbrown, 2 SLW. My Birds won't eat much veggies. Although they did eat blueberries the other day. I had to break them in half. The SLW actually took them out of my hand. They won't even do that for mealworms. But you birds are still young their tastes might change.

 

[Eggcessive]

The best thing for chickens is their balanced chick feed, especially for 90% of their diet. If eating other foods, granite chick grit needs to be provided.

 

[WindingRoad]

The best thing for chickens is their balanced chick feed, especially for 90% of their diet. If eating other foods, granite chick grit needs to be provided.

My birds are free ranging now.