Strange poop from my broody

[Suejordn]

Hello, two days ago my little alike went broody for the first time. But since yesterday I’ve notice her poops being watery. Some hard normal looking and some watery. Today I saw this under where she slept. Not sure if it’s normal or needs attention. The rest of her poops from last night are normal. Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[Tre3hugger]

Brooded are known for.huge bazaar poops. I personally wouldn't worry too much.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hello, two days ago my little alike went broody for the first time. But since yesterday I’ve notice her poops being watery. Some hard normal looking and some watery. Today I saw this under where she slept. Not sure if it’s normal or needs attention. The rest of her poops from last night are normal. Thanks in advance for any advice!

While the first poster is correct that broody's make huge bazaar poops.. your's look NOTHING like a broody poop to me.. are you SURE she's broody and not having another issue??? Has she been inside a breaker?

Broody's don't poop at night in order to avoid soiling the eggs and nest, Their poos are also NOT watery.. as they've slowed their digestion.. it becomes much larger like a dog poo and much stinkier as well.

How about a photo of video of the broody? What breed, how old?

Hope all is well!

 

[Suejordn]

While the first poster is correct that broody's make huge bazaar poops.. your's look NOTHING like a broody poop to me.. are you SURE she's broody and not having another issue??? Has she been inside a breaker?

Broody's don't poop at night in order to avoid soiling the eggs and nest, Their poos are also NOT watery.. as they've slowed their digestion.. it becomes much larger like a dog poo and much stinkier as well.

How about a photo of video of the broody? What breed, how old?

Hope all is well!

Thank you for the info, she is about 8 months and just started laying beginning last month. She laid an egg everyday for 6 days which isn’t normal and then wouldn’t leave the nest. Walked around really low and with spread wings if I kicked her out of her nest. So last night I put her in a broody cage and when I let her out this morning I saw that poop. Oh and she is a silkie bantam

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thank you for the info, she is about 8 months and just started laying beginning last month. She laid an egg everyday for 6 days which isn’t normal and then wouldn’t leave the nest. Walked around really low and with spread wings if I kicked her out of her nest. So last night I put her in a broody cage and when I let her out this morning I saw that poop. Oh and she is a silkie bantam

That definitely sounds broody. Maybe her digestion just hasn't changed over yet. And being in a breaker.. means you are already impacting those hormones.. So as long as she is still acting fairly normal.. then you should be good.. At her age, breaking is the wisest choice indeed.

Your wire bottom kennel looks like it might could use some adjustments to make it more comfortable on her feet (in the future.. meaning those wire look far apart.. I added half inc hardware cloth to my wire dog one to offer more foot support. I also have some rabbit style cages that have the wires closer already.. For Silkies.. I love rabbit cages for breaking.

Also since she has gone broody this early after onset of lay.. you can anticipate that she may be excessively broody throughout her life, in my experience... even with NO eggs left in the nest, they will brood air. Hopefully it will be just enough for you though.. You can even plan ahead and get her some sexed feed store/hatchery chicks to raise next year when she goes broody if you have room and desire.

 

[Suejordn]

That definitely sounds broody. Maybe her digestion just hasn't changed over yet. And being in a breaker.. means you are already impacting those hormones.. So as long as she is still acting fairly normal.. then you should be good.. At her age, breaking is the wisest choice indeed.

Your wire bottom kennel looks like it might could use some adjustments to make it more comfortable on her feet (in the future.. meaning those wire look far apart.. I added half inc hardware cloth to my wire dog one to offer more foot support. I also have some rabbit style cages that have the wires closer already.. For Silkies.. I love rabbit cages for breaking.

Also since she has gone broody this early after onset of lay.. you can anticipate that she may be excessively broody throughout her life, in my experience... even with NO eggs left in the nest, they will brood air. Hopefully it will be just enough for you though.. You can even plan ahead and get her some sexed feed store/hatchery chicks to raise next year when she goes broody if you have room and desire.

Oh ok! I was hoping she wouldn’t be a broody silkie. We really like her but we don’t have enough room for her to always be wanting to hatch chicks. Hmm, we will see. Also our bantam cochin frizzle (same age) went broody a couple weeks ago and we had to bread her! We want hens for eggs. We might have got the wrong breeds though.
Back to her poop . I just was checking on her and she has tons of poop all around her bum. She didn’t have this yesterday. Is that normal too. It is kind of greenish with white? It’s hard to hold her and take a picture of it though.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Oh ok! I was hoping she wouldn’t be a broody silkie. We really like her but we don’t have enough room for her to always be wanting to hatch chicks. Hmm, we will see. Also our bantam cochin frizzle (same age) went broody a couple weeks ago and we had to bread her! We want hens for eggs. We might have got the wrong breeds though.
Back to her poop . I just was checking on her and she has tons of poop all around her bum. She didn’t have this yesterday. Is that normal too. It is kind of greenish with white? It’s hard to hold her and take a picture of it though.

Ya, give her a chance and see how broody she does end up being before deciding to re-home if needed. I can work with once or twice per year but have had to re-home as some would go back to back to back every 3rd egg even after being allowed to raise a brood.

If she hasn't taken in enough feed since becoming broody or her system just isn't adjusting yet.. maybe why the droppings are seeming off. But NO, I don't think I would call that normal. Are you seeing her eat or drink? What is her feed including treats and supplements? Have you felt her crop, and is it full, empty, hard, soft, squishy, any sour smell?

I would clean her up and dry her off. I usually use warm running water, both my sink and tub have spray heads on hoses. A small soaking tub may also work if it's hardened on too much a little extra time helps or dish soap, rinsed well. Just towel dry if temperatures are comfortable or gently blow dry if it's colder. They are usually not very good at preening it out. But often relax well enough for the bath. I'm against cold water dunks to break broody's.. I always use warm (not hot) water to reduce stress during bathing.

One word regarding broodiness and egg production.. my excessively broody Silkie ladies also actually mini molted during raising their broods, returning to lay in the usual timing.. Never having full winter molts.. essentially POSSIBLY negating any differences verses a bird that spends a full 3-4 months molting each year. Plus the bonus of having them raise a few new pullets added each year to keep up winter production vs heat lamp etc. Gosh, even though I've been done with Silkies for a while.. Sometimes I wonder why.. alas it was the broodiness that broke me. I don't like breaking them but couldn't accommodate it either.

Since switching to Flock Raiser (Purina 20% protein) with oyster shell on the side free choice instead of using "layer" (usually 16% protein with OS included).. My older birds now enter molt less harshly, returning to lay sooner and having better over all condition.. Plus the extra nutrients actually DO go into the eggs my family is consuming.. according to studies I've seen on hatch rates, etc. For informational purposes only.

Unwashed, refrigerated eggs stored pointy side down are still viable even 6 months later, and still as fresh as most store bought eggs! The air cell grows larger, leaving a flat spot when boiled. The yolk and white might not stand AS tall as they did on day one.. But planning ahead can be helpful.. She says as she's just bought 2 dozen market eggs, it doesn't always work out!

Let us know how she cleans up and the food/crop status when ya can.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Ahem yes if u wanted chickens for eggs, then oops u probably chose the wrong breeds. Silkies and cochins are known as 2 of the most broody breeds, as well as both breeds being fairly poor egg layers. (There are always exceptions of course!) Be aware that Some of the higher production layer breeds are also known for broodiness. But at least when those individuals are not broody, they lay lots of eggs!

 

[Suejordn]

Ahem yes if u wanted chickens for eggs, then oops u probably chose the wrong breeds. Silkies and cochins are known as 2 of the most broody breeds, as well as both breeds being fairly poor egg layers. (There are always exceptions of course!) Be aware that Some of the higher production layer breeds are also known for broodiness. But at least when those individuals are not broody, they lay lots of eggs!

I can only have bantams because of space and I fell in love with silkies. I didn’t know much about them except I thought they were adorable! They rest of my bantams came from a local farm and the lady said hers lay an egg pretty much everyday, except winter of course. So far, my cochin frizzle has laid every single day except the two weeks we were breaking her and she was adjusting back to egg laying. But she is so faithful everyday to give us an egg! I’m hoping to get some bantam americanus (don’t know how to spell that one). I hope the 3 other pullets we are still waiting for will be good layers and not broody! Thanks for replying!

 

[Suejordn]

Ya, give her a chance and see how broody she does end up being before deciding to re-home if needed. I can work with once or twice per year but have had to re-home as some would go back to back to back every 3rd egg even after being allowed to raise a brood.

If she hasn't taken in enough feed since becoming broody or her system just isn't adjusting yet.. maybe why the droppings are seeming off. But NO, I don't think I would call that normal. Are you seeing her eat or drink? What is her feed including treats and supplements? Have you felt her crop, and is it full, empty, hard, soft, squishy, any sour smell?

I would clean her up and dry her off. I usually use warm running water, both my sink and tub have spray heads on hoses. A small soaking tub may also work if it's hardened on too much a little extra time helps or dish soap, rinsed well. Just towel dry if temperatures are comfortable or gently blow dry if it's colder. They are usually not very good at preening it out. But often relax well enough for the bath. I'm against cold water dunks to break broody's.. I always use warm (not hot) water to reduce stress during bathing.

One word regarding broodiness and egg production.. my excessively broody Silkie ladies also actually mini molted during raising their broods, returning to lay in the usual timing.. Never having full winter molts.. essentially POSSIBLY negating any differences verses a bird that spends a full 3-4 months molting each year. Plus the bonus of having them raise a few new pullets added each year to keep up winter production vs heat lamp etc. Gosh, even though I've been done with Silkies for a while.. Sometimes I wonder why.. alas it was the broodiness that broke me. I don't like breaking them but couldn't accommodate it either.

Since switching to Flock Raiser (Purina 20% protein) with oyster shell on the side free choice instead of using "layer" (usually 16% protein with OS included).. My older birds now enter molt less harshly, returning to lay sooner and having better over all condition.. Plus the extra nutrients actually DO go into the eggs my family is consuming.. according to studies I've seen on hatch rates, etc. For informational purposes only.

Unwashed, refrigerated eggs stored pointy side down are still viable even 6 months later, and still as fresh as most store bought eggs! The air cell grows larger, leaving a flat spot when boiled. The yolk and white might not stand AS tall as they did on day one.. But planning ahead can be helpful.. She says as she's just bought 2 dozen market eggs, it doesn't always work out!

Let us know how she cleans up and the food/crop status when ya can.

Good info, thank you. I just switched to layer feed a couple weeks ago but my pullets we happy on chick feed. I have all bantams. Does that make a difference? I bought an organic layer feed that was locally made. They have oyster shells in a dish and grit in their feed. They get left over fruit and veggies probably every other day. Yesterday I did give them some yogurt for the first time? It did have some honey in it.
Ok, I just got home and will give her a warm soak in a tub. She is such a little gentle girl. Even broody she doesn’t make a peep if I pick her up or move her out of her nest. I really really like her. .

Here she is in her nest