Very large nearly all white firm chicken poop.

Pickychicks

Chirping
Apr 1, 2021
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Early this morning I found a fresh very large chicken poop atop a hay bale in the run. It measured about 3 inches long and 1 1/2 inches high.
It had two tiny orange-ish swirls in it and a small bit of darker poop on one end. I was a little stunned see it. My first thought was 'is that an awful lot of uric acid being expelled in one poop?'.
I have 4 heritage birds coming up on 2 years old and three 21 week old pullets. All the birds appear to be behaving normally except one Austrolorp pullet who is constantly being run off the food. She is lagging in growth behind her clutch mate, they were the same size when I got them at 10 weeks. I hand fed her this morning in my lap to see if she was off eating for other reasons. She ate heartily and hopped down when she'd had enough.
The two year old Java has been having a slightly soft crop and I don't think it's as firm as it should be at bedtime compared to the rest of the girls. A couple weeks ago a bit of fluid dripped from her mouth. I have been watching her and seen nothing else abnormal about her behavior except more vocalizing than usual which appears to be begging. I am in the coop over an hour a dayand observe the girls a lot. Her crop isn't as full as it should be in the evening, but she appears to be eating normally and interacting in her usual ways, social, grooming etc. Any insights appreciated.
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All the birds appear to be behaving normally except one Austrolorp pullet who is constantly being run off the food. She is lagging in growth behind her clutch mate, they were the same size when I got them at 10 weeks. I hand fed her this morning in my lap to see if she was off eating for other reasons. She ate heartily and hopped down when she'd had enough.

The two year old Java has been having a slightly soft crop and I don't think it's as firm as it should be at bedtime compared to the rest of the girls. A couple weeks ago a bit of fluid dripped from her mouth.
Looks like a bit of intestinal shedding in the poop. It can be normal.
Getting a fecal float will tell you if there's need to deworm.

If the pullet is constantly being kept from feed and lagging, then add another feed/water station or more. Dominant birds can't control all feeders at the same time.

Check the Java's crop first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks, if it's emptying overnight, then I wouldn't be too concerned. Fluid can drip from the beak when a bird has drank too much too fast or if there crop is pressed when picked up and/or manipulated. I would just monitor it if it's emptying.
 
Looks like a bit of intestinal shedding in the poop. It can be normal.
Getting a fecal float will tell you if there's need to deworm.

If the pullet is constantly being kept from feed and lagging, then add another feed/water station or more. Dominant birds can't control all feeders at the same time.

Check the Java's crop first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks, if it's emptying overnight, then I wouldn't be too concerned. Fluid can drip from the beak when a bird has drank too much too fast or if there crop is pressed when picked up and/or manipulated. I would just monitor it if it's emptying.
Thanks for your reply, backs up most of what I was thinking. I did put in a second feeding station but think I need to put in a third. I have taken to holding the dominant offender in my lap for awhile every day (I don't interrupt her offending, just pick her up when she's generally walking around) hoping my 'dominance'
 
Thanks for your reply, backs up most of what I was thinking. I did put in a second feeding station but think I need to put in a third. I have taken to holding the dominant offender in my lap for awhile every day (I don't interrupt her offending, just pick her up when she's generally walking around) hoping my 'dominance'
..would settle her down. Seems to be working, but pullet is now used to skirting all the feeding areas. The plan is to help her get a bellyful in the am and then continue to monitor feeding areas until she starts to be less fearful of going for her share. Re/ the java, I concur. Her crop is emptying fine, but I wondered about a mild case of sour crop.
 

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