TheShamily
In the Brooder
- Oct 20, 2024
- 17
- 34
- 46
Can someone help me decide what to do about this poop? Is a fecal float test in order? It is foamy...but not always
Background- I acquired a young cockerel from a friend a few weeks ago, he is an Olive Egger/BCM mix about 5mths old. He has been safely integrated into the flock, and has settled quite nicely over that past few weeks/month. Since his arrival, his cecal droppings are occasionally foamy. The one pictured is more yellowish than usual, his usual ones are the mustard brown/baby poop cecal color. The bird is a great weight, came from a very healthy flock. His feathering is vibrant and shiny, combs and wattles bright red and supple. He eats and drinks normally and is a great forager, no behavioral concerns.
At first I thought maybe stress, and the change in diet, due to the move. He does forage quite well, so he gets a pretty high protein load from the bugs he is quite adept at catching. His regular droppings on the poop board under the roost are normal in color and texture, and sometimes passes "normal" cecal droppings. But this random foamy poop has me puzzled.
Flock of 7- eight mth old pullets (BO, SLW, and BCM), 7 newly hatched chicks (BO and BYM), and him. All eat an organic all flock crumble, oyster shell on the side for the ladies, occasional black soldier fly larva and organic scratch grains (like a handful to come back into the chicken run at night a couple nights a week) free range 1/2 the day, with random kitchen scraps as they occur.
No one else seems to share this foamy poop with any regularity. One of my BCM does super rarely, preceding the new cockerel, but she also is an excellent forager- lizards and bugs are high on her menu.
Am I looking at fluctuations due to protein intake, or something else?
Any help or direction would be appreciated. I don't want to medicate unless necessary, just not sure where to start.
Background- I acquired a young cockerel from a friend a few weeks ago, he is an Olive Egger/BCM mix about 5mths old. He has been safely integrated into the flock, and has settled quite nicely over that past few weeks/month. Since his arrival, his cecal droppings are occasionally foamy. The one pictured is more yellowish than usual, his usual ones are the mustard brown/baby poop cecal color. The bird is a great weight, came from a very healthy flock. His feathering is vibrant and shiny, combs and wattles bright red and supple. He eats and drinks normally and is a great forager, no behavioral concerns.
At first I thought maybe stress, and the change in diet, due to the move. He does forage quite well, so he gets a pretty high protein load from the bugs he is quite adept at catching. His regular droppings on the poop board under the roost are normal in color and texture, and sometimes passes "normal" cecal droppings. But this random foamy poop has me puzzled.
Flock of 7- eight mth old pullets (BO, SLW, and BCM), 7 newly hatched chicks (BO and BYM), and him. All eat an organic all flock crumble, oyster shell on the side for the ladies, occasional black soldier fly larva and organic scratch grains (like a handful to come back into the chicken run at night a couple nights a week) free range 1/2 the day, with random kitchen scraps as they occur.
No one else seems to share this foamy poop with any regularity. One of my BCM does super rarely, preceding the new cockerel, but she also is an excellent forager- lizards and bugs are high on her menu.
Am I looking at fluctuations due to protein intake, or something else?
Any help or direction would be appreciated. I don't want to medicate unless necessary, just not sure where to start.
