Whats wrong! Bad poop

[FirstTimeChikens]

Let me know how it's going.

So she's pooping eating and drinking today everything is normal. Her poops are wet but not like that one I took a picture of. I seriously think she got chilled and it messed up her digestion? Because she doesn't have a poopy butt anymore. Not sure how to make my coop more suitable for her now though. I'm going to keep her inside for the rest of the treatment. On day 3 tomorrow, so she shouldn't have much longer inside.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So she's pooping eating and drinking today everything is normal. Her poops are wet but not like that one I took a picture of. I seriously think she got chilled and it messed up her digestion? Because she doesn't have a poopy butt anymore. Not sure how to make my coop more suitable for her now though. I'm going to keep her inside for the rest of the treatment. On day 3 tomorrow, so she shouldn't have much longer inside.

Do you think she will have a tough time re-integrating if you keep her in for more days?

What's your coop setup like? I know you, like me are probably experiencing some colder temps right now. So if you feel she must have gotten chilled, you may need to take steps to provide extra protection during winter. Wind blocking/a place where she (and the others) can get out of the wind, but still have ventilation. Extra bedding for her to snuggle into. Dry areas, etc.

I've never had Silkies, so can't be sure what type of temperatures they can handle before extra things needs to be provided. Perhaps @Debbie292d can give some tips.

 

[FirstTimeChikens]

Do you think she will have a tough time re-integrating if you keep her in for more days?

What's your coop setup like? I know you, like me are probably experiencing some colder temps right now. So if you feel she must have gotten chilled, you may need to take steps to provide extra protection during winter. Wind blocking/a place where she (and the others) can get out of the wind, but still have ventilation. Extra bedding for her to snuggle into. Dry areas, etc.

I've never had Silkies, so can't be sure what type of temperatures they can handle before extra things needs to be provided. Perhaps @Debbie292d can give some tips.

I think she will integrate fine, my silkies aren't really part of the main flock anyway and usually keep to themselves, and they are quite sweet. They took in another one of my sick girls until she was able to move back in to the standard flock.

My coop does have a little drier portion with hay that gets built up that the silkies usually take cover under. They have full access to the coop at all times but usually prefer to free roam. I may need to put a sheet of plastic up to block the wind as I feel that's what did it. I definitely think she got wind chilled now, as she's in my garage where there's minimum heating and she's doing perfectly. I appreciate you tagging someone in to help. I've never had silkies before and I know that they are more susceptible to things.

 

[Debbie292d]

Thanks for the tag @Wyorp Rock

Hi there!

I've found the best thing for helping adult poopy butt is to get into a routine of probiotics. Whether it's powdered in their water, Greek sugar-free yogurt, or fermenting grains...about once or twice a week will help their guts and digestive systems.

Silkies are prone to about everything more than most breeds, so I've made a habit of giving them half a dosage of Rooster Booster granules in their feed, which they've been on for eight years now. Once one had a cold (respiratory infection), but other than that, nothing but an occasional poopy butt. Sometimes the poopy butt isn't them; it's their feathers, so I use kitchen scissors and cut around their butt. I do their eyes first, though. The one that had the cold was in here for a week, and putting her back out only excited the roosters as she was in one of our breeding pens. I stood out there for a few minutes until they calmed down.

As far as temperatures go, they were out today when it was 13F and a feels like temp of 4F. That's a little too cold for me to let them out usually, but the sun was actually out today, so I did. They have an attached covered area to stay out of the wind, which they used for about 2 minutes, then out they went.

Their coop is heated to 40F, mostly for me, so their water and eggs don't freeze, but also for them when it gets frigid cold here. Today, I noticed them heading into the coop a couple of times to warm up, and then back out they came.

You might have found out already that they like wide flat perches, don't fly for beans, and can't jump well either. We have ladders for them to get up to the nest boxes, and some sleep on top of those or on the railing in front or in the boxes themselves. I put horse bedding pellets in the nest boxes so they're easier to keep clean than straw being pooped on.

If you have any silkie questions, I'm happy to try to answer them. I hope she's back to normal now.

 

[FirstTimeChikens]

Thanks for the tag @Wyorp Rock

Hi there!

I've found the best thing for helping adult poopy butt is to get into a routine of probiotics. Whether it's powdered in their water, Greek sugar-free yogurt, or fermenting grains...about once or twice a week will help their guts and digestive systems.

Silkies are prone to about everything more than most breeds, so I've made a habit of giving them half a dosage of Rooster Booster granules in their feed, which they've been on for eight years now. Once one had a cold (respiratory infection), but other than that, nothing but an occasional poopy butt. Sometimes the poopy butt isn't them; it's their feathers, so I use kitchen scissors and cut around their butt. I do their eyes first, though. The one that had the cold was in here for a week, and putting her back out only excited the roosters as she was in one of our breeding pens. I stood out there for a few minutes until they calmed down.

As far as temperatures go, they were out today when it was 13F and a feels like temp of 4F. That's a little too cold for me to let them out usually, but the sun was actually out today, so I did. They have an attached covered area to stay out of the wind, which they used for about 2 minutes, then out they went.

Their coop is heated to 40F, mostly for me, so their water and eggs don't freeze, but also for them when it gets frigid cold here. Today, I noticed them heading into the coop a couple of times to warm up, and then back out they came.

You might have found out already that they like wide flat perches, don't fly for beans, and can't jump well either. We have ladders for them to get up to the nest boxes, and some sleep on top of those or on the railing in front or in the boxes themselves. I put horse bedding pellets in the nest boxes so they're easier to keep clean than straw being pooped on.

If you have any silkie questions, I'm happy to try to answer them. I hope she's back to normal now.

Thank you for this! I will be putting it in my notes. Our nesting boxes are floor level for the silkies. They get pooped on from above because they sleep in the same coop as my standard chickens. I do find that they get the poop on their feathers so Im glad it's not just mine! Do you keep their head puffs super big or do you make them small?

I think Pepsi, my girl with the poopy butt, got a little cold because as soon as she moved inside she shaped right up. She even laid a cute little egg this morning! I will get some routine probiotics to prevent anything further because I absolutely adore my silkies.

 

[Debbie292d]

Thank you for this! I will be putting it in my notes. Our nesting boxes are floor level for the silkies. They get pooped on from above because they sleep in the same coop as my standard chickens. I do find that they get the poop on their feathers so Im glad it's not just mine! Do you keep their head puffs super big or do you make them small?

I think Pepsi, my girl with the poopy butt, got a little cold because as soon as she moved inside she shaped right up. She even laid a cute little egg this morning! I will get some routine probiotics to prevent anything further because I absolutely adore my silkies.

Congrats on the egg!

When I'm not incubating, we get way more than we can eat but then they get scrambled eggs a little more often. Just remember if you bake a cake that calls for two eggs, use three of theirs.


I do nothing to their heads. I just shave a little around their eyes so they can see.

I would move the roost though so they aren't getting pooped on though or rearrange the coop so everyone gets to lay eggs and roost where they want to.

 

[FirstTimeChikens]

Congrats on the egg!

When I'm not incubating, we get way more than we can eat but then they get scrambled eggs a little more often. Just remember if you bake a cake that calls for two eggs, use three of theirs.


I do nothing to their heads. I just shave a little around their eyes so they can see.

I would move the roost though so they aren't getting pooped on though or rearrange the coop so everyone gets to lay eggs and roost where they want to.

Okay thank you!!!