Week old chick with runny poop

[shaelynn]

Yesterday I noticed one chick had abnormal poop. It was liquid, almost slimy. I have six chicks housed together and I don't know which one it is (I put the chicks in a smaller bucket to change their litter and saw the poop but not who did it). The chicks are a week old today. All chicks are acting normal. Eating/drinking. No sleepy chicks or glassy eyes. The farmer who I got them from gave me medicine to add to their water if one got sick. I did that yesterday just to try to help. Today I noticed a few more abnormal poops when changing the cage. They're still all acting normal, nothing else is going on. I'm not sure if I should wait and watch or treat them? They're on non medicated chick food with pine shavings for bedding. I've attached a picture of the poop. Thanks!

 

[azygous]

That poop in your pic appears to be normal cecal poop. These can be a bit on the liquid side in new chicks, and are almost always the consistency of chocolate pudding even in adult chickens. They smell very stinky, which, unfortunately, is their nature.

Chickens are able to show us by their behavior when they are sick. The first sign of a sick chick is it will be inactive and sleepy, nodding off standing up, perhaps letting it's tiny wings droop down and a bit away from its body.

A normal chick is frantically active, curious, in to everything, eating and pooping regularly, mostly hard tiny turds and an occasional "chocolate pudding smelly "cecal poop.

It's important for you to ask the farmer what "medicine" he gave you for the chicks. We need to see if it's something helpful or something the chicks may not need.

 

[shaelynn]

It's important for you to ask the farmer what "medicine" he gave you for the chicks. We need to see if it's something helpful or something the chicks may not need.

Thank you! It was tetracycline he gave me

 

[azygous]

It's an antibiotic. It's not necessary. Using an antibiotic when a chicken isn't sick is inadvisable.

As I mentioned, you will see signs if a chicken is sick. Poop is only one tiny indicator, but in this case cecal poop is perfectly normal, if disgusting. Behavior is the most important indicator of illness and should lead all others.

 

[shaelynn]

Thank you, I did stop the antibiotics as soon as I saw your reply yesterday. I appreciate all your help and knowledge!

 

[azygous]

Glad it was helpful!

 

[danceswithronin]

That poop in your pic appears to be normal cecal poop. These can be a bit on the liquid side in new chicks, and are almost always the consistency of chocolate pudding even in adult chickens. They smell very stinky, which, unfortunately, is their nature.

I am glad to hear this, I have had one chick which has VERY similar looking poop (very liquidy, brown, and stinky in comparison to her sisters in the flock) but otherwise seems very active, is growing well, eats/drinks/poops, and doesn't seem to be ill at all. No pasty butt, no lethargy, nothing. So I've just been keeping a close eye, but this makes me feel a lot better to hear. I have noticed her stools firming up a bit since I moved them out to the coop and started introducing new things to eat other than chick feed.

 

[Ashlanna]

That poop in your pic appears to be normal cecal poop. These can be a bit on the liquid side in new chicks, and are almost always the consistency of chocolate pudding even in adult chickens. They smell very stinky, which, unfortunately, is their nature.

Chickens are able to show us by their behavior when they are sick. The first sign of a sick chick is it will be inactive and sleepy, nodding off standing up, perhaps letting it's tiny wings droop down and a bit away from its body.

A normal chick is frantically active, curious, in to everything, eating and pooping regularly, mostly hard tiny turds and an occasional "chocolate pudding smelly "cecal poop.

It's important for you to ask the farmer what "medicine" he gave you for the chicks. We need to see if it's something helpful or something the chicks may not need.

Franticly active. Love it. I am 3 weeks in to my 5th brood and today I've been watching them trample each other and fly into things.