Watery Excrement Since Summer-Last Resort Before Culling

[MrsAuberry00]

I have a 1 1/2 year old Copper Marans Cross that has had varying degrees of liquid poo since this past summer. She has exhibited the tendency to drink more water than the other hens, but other than this, all outward appearances would indicate she is healthy. Her comb and wattles still have their full, red coloring. Her feathers are glossy, although she has gone through a molt recently. Also, she has not laid an egg since approximately mid-October, (although all of my hens have stopped laying as of 10/24.) Her appetite has not changed, she roosts normally, and all other behavior appears normal.

Things I have tried: Wazine, Safe-Guard, probiotics in the water alone, probiotics in the water with ACV, ACV in the water alone, and restricting her from free-ranging. I have also tried praying to the chicken Saints and temper tantrums.

This summer, I attributed the diarrhea to her increased water intake. However, as the weather cooled and is now cold, she continues to have diarrhea that gets sprayed onto the coop walls behind where she roosts. This also runs down into the openings of the nesting boxes below, and the poo is also often sprayed into the nesting boxes. The sand on the floor of the coop is extremely difficult to clean as she has no actual droppings to scoop out and instead has only splatters of wet sand. I have given up on sanitizing soiled nesting boxes daily and have just resorted to removing them. There are still three of eight boxes that are available for egg laying, but one of those now has her poo in it, so it will also have to be removed. It is extremely difficult to clean the walls of the coop due to it's construction, (the floor is waist high and you have to basically climb into the coop to clean them, which is what I do in the spring.)

I do not want to cull her, but after months and months of this, I am at the end of my rope...both with watery poo and with the sanitizing challenges it has brought with it. I'm exhausted. Can anyone help?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I would consider it a genetic issue... and cull. I had the same basic thing... also in a Marans. She was beautiful and looked healthy but never made a solid poo and all her eggs plus any she sat on were poopy.

She still processed fine for freezer camp though. Good luck!

 

[Mosey2003]

I would cull too, and give a good look at her organs. You could try separating her and offering her high fiber foods as well, like whole oats. Dunno if it would help at all though.

 

[MrsAuberry00]

Thank you for your input. I absolutely hate the idea of culling her, but I can't see that keeping her around if the watery poo can't be stopped is feasible. Ugh, this stinks.

 

[micstrachan]

Sorry about your hen and your frustration. Have you tried changing her feed? I would also try some cooked white rice and see if that forms up her poops. Good luck.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

This link might help you get clues...
http://www.poultrydvm.com/views/symptoms.php

You put in the symptom (watery droppings in this case) and it gives you ALL the possibilities it could be for you to narrow down.

 

[Shorty22366]

How about Nutridrench?

 

[andreanar]

Increase fiber? Can you give a chicken an antidiarrheal? Things to search..hmmm

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a 1 1/2 year old Copper Marans Cross that has had varying degrees of liquid poo since this past summer. She has exhibited the tendency to drink more water than the other hens, but other than this, all outward appearances would indicate she is healthy. Her comb and wattles still have their full, red coloring. Her feathers are glossy, although she has gone through a molt recently. Also, she has not laid an egg since approximately mid-October, (although all of my hens have stopped laying as of 10/24.) Her appetite has not changed, she roosts normally, and all other behavior appears normal.

Things I have tried: Wazine, Safe-Guard, probiotics in the water alone, probiotics in the water with ACV, ACV in the water alone, and restricting her from free-ranging. I have also tried praying to the chicken Saints and temper tantrums.

This summer, I attributed the diarrhea to her increased water intake. However, as the weather cooled and is now cold, she continues to have diarrhea that gets sprayed onto the coop walls behind where she roosts. This also runs down into the openings of the nesting boxes below, and the poo is also often sprayed into the nesting boxes. The sand on the floor of the coop is extremely difficult to clean as she has no actual droppings to scoop out and instead has only splatters of wet sand. I have given up on sanitizing soiled nesting boxes daily and have just resorted to removing them. There are still three of eight boxes that are available for egg laying, but one of those now has her poo in it, so it will also have to be removed. It is extremely difficult to clean the walls of the coop due to it's construction, (the floor is waist high and you have to basically climb into the coop to clean them, which is what I do in the spring.)

I do not want to cull her, but after months and months of this, I am at the end of my rope...both with watery poo and with the sanitizing challenges it has brought with it. I'm exhausted. Can anyone help?

I'm sorry that this continues to happen, I'm sure your very frustrated.
Can you post some photos of your hen and her poop?
Have you had any testing performed at all?
With all the loose poop, she must be a mess herself! How often do you have to clean up her bottom? When you clean her up do you notice if she has a discharge or something that may look like Vent Gleet?

Think about having your vet do a fecal float or you can probably send a sample to your state lab which may be cheaper https://vet.purdue.edu/addl/

 

[MrsAuberry00]

Well, my jerk of a husband may have taken care of the problem. Last night while the girls were roosting, he was scooping out some more of the stool and she happened to poop, splattering his arm. He took her off the roost and placed her outside the coop and run and left her out. When I got home for work, I looked for her in the dark for hours but couldn't find her. It was the coldest night we've had so far this fall with sleet no less. She hasn't come back today and I still can't find her.

I'm FURIOUS at him for this. Even if we ended up culling her, it would have been quick and hopefully painless. Instead, she could have been killed by a predator or succumbed to the elements, which is anything but quick and painless. I have forbidden him from EVER touching one of my hens again. He wasn't trying to be cruel, he was annoyed by the constant poop everywhere and her pooping on him, but regardless, it WAS cruel and I'm LIVID and heartbroken that she may have suffered. Insert every swear word you know here because it's probably what I'm saying.