What causes watery poop?

[MandyH]

I've got poults that are several weeks old in a brooder that have watery poop. I mean literally they are pooping clear water, and LOTS of it. They soak the brooder (with 4 inches of shavings) in a day. Is it because it is so hot they are drinking lots of water and eating less? I've been raising turkeys for 3 years now and this is the first time I have encountered this. But this is the first year that I have not run the air conditioner in the hatching house and it been 98 degrees here for over a week.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

At 98 they are hot I'm sure. Heat stress will lossen the poo.

Steve in NC

 

[hinkjc]

Excessive drinking causes watery poop. Also, reduced intake of food. I would recommend adding an electrolyte to the water to help with the heat.

 

[MandyH]

Thanks guys. I moved them to an outisde brooder in the shade so they can have some fresh air. They are doing better!! I thought they were spilling their water because they were soaking the brooder so bad, but when I was moving them yesterday to clean it I saw several of them just poop straight water. I figure they were just too hot.

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

I would add some Molasses to their water at a rate of 1 tablespoon per gallon for the next day or two and get them some good stuff back and help clean their system out in them or use some poultry electrolytes.

 

[mackak]

OK, in my research to find out if watery poop was normal in turkeys, I came across this older thread.
I also thought that my turkeys were spilling their water because the bottom of the coop/brooder was always so wet when I cleaned it out. Well, today I actually witnessed the watery poop. There was a little food in it but the majority was water and both of them did it. Does it mean they aren't eating enough? Are they sick? What do I need to do for them? They are 2.5 months old and have lived a very sheltered life thus far. They seem easily startled and panic easily, is that normal for turkeys?

 

[frank53061]

How old were your Poults when you got them and were.
If they were not hand raised with regular human contact in a commercial setting or by a Hen then yes there actions are close to normal.
I got my Poults at 3 days old and made it a point to be with them no less than 1 to 2 hours a day with my daughter taking some of that time.
Heck I would just set in the Pen with them on a feed bucket and watch them and talk to them after awhile they would want to jump up on my lap think of it as therapeutic for you.
If the Poults were a few weeks old they don't like change of any kind and it takes awhile for them to settle in.
I put out a kiddie swimming pool for them to cool off in and drink from and for the first 2 days they would do there warning chirps at it till they got the idea of what it was there for and it was safe.