Why tiny green poo?

[jjthink]

BJ roo is at least 7 years old and is about 5 pounds. He was about 6 pounds 1 year ago. He has tons of food available 24/7. Fairly significant weight loss, I'm thinking, though perhaps not quite dire in and of itself.

For some time now he has had teeny little poops (probably 2 years), but now more than ever. He puts out a microscopic fraction of what hen Annie puts out, and some are quite green (think pencil eraser for him, sometimes german shepard for her - egads!).

They've been wormed (Ivomectin Eprinex plus pumpkin seed snacks periodically), have the best foods available (layer for her and wild game bird maintenance for him, available 24/7 plus a variety of fresh foods, sunflower seeds etc.), Avia Charge 2000 in water, clean coop, fresh water twice daily, free range time to eat whatever plants and bugs they deem worthy, lots of TLC, and they look good, head to toe. He shows great interest in his little treats (sunflower seeds and millet seeds from birdseed mixtures, cherries for possible gout, grapes, bits of apple, squash or whatever) so does not seem to have a problem with ingesting food. I just don't know where on earth it's all going.

I am kind of worried that maybe he has an internal growth that is gradually closing off the passageway for poop, or another type of cancer, but are there any other reasons that could be afoot that would cause such teeny weeny skinny poop? Perhaps he is not eating nearly as much as he should and if that's the case, I don't know why. He lounges around most of the time. His preferred spot is the doormat by my back door. He is crowing each morning and sometimes during the day if he especially approves of the weather.

I'm wondering if there is anything I could give him that might help him? Tho I realize it depends what the heck is going on here. He used to at least have a combination of small poops and some more normal looking ones but I haven't seen normal in some time now.

BJ and Annie prefer to sleep on a straw lined shelf rather than perch. In her spot in the morning there is a ton of poop, in his nothing anymore.

I know this is not much to go on and that perhaps short of a litany of very stressful tests for him it may be hard to sort this out. I am grateful spring is approaching because I'm hoping he'll want to explore more and will find things in nature that he will instinctively know is good for him. He is a very gentle, sweet boy (though very high anxiety so taking him anywhere is very hard for him) and I love him a lot. He treats hens like princesses and they really love him.
JJ

Edited to add letters to "instinctively" - my computer has a maddening habit of wanting to do updates and while it's begging you to accept this offer, anything typed does not register on screen......YIKES - also want to say sorry this is soooooooo long!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[silkiechicken]

Usually green poo is due to not eating enough as the green is bile. Maybe you could wet his feed rations or mix it with yohurt to encourage him to eat more? It would not be that uncommon if he had a growth that is changing his appetite as, expecially production strains, are very susceptible to tumors and the such as they are bred young and "old chicken" problems can always be passed on as most don't get to be old. Good luck with him and let's hope it is a phase since it sounds like you are doing all you can do.

 

[jjthink]

Thank you for your insights - I am indeed afraid he may have something from the ghastly breeding that pretty much rules out living to a ripe old age for one reason or another. I don't know his lineage (he appeared "on my doorstep" out of nowhere all those years ago) but odds are he is not free of some bad genetics.

This dear boy hates yogurt. Hates oatmeal. He will eat a scrambled egg - I don't give it too often because I worried about too much protein and his kidneys but then again, he is very serious about wanting seeds so that also is a high protein/high fat food. He used to adore high quality cat food treats that I gave him during molting but I pretty much stopped that for fear of the protein and salt content given his age and possible kidney troubles, tho maybe I just should do whatever I have to do to try to keep weight on him. And keep him as happy as possible for as long as possible.

I wish I understood more about natural supplements that could be good for somebody like him...maybe I should give him CoQ10 since it's know to reduce and even eliminate tumors in humans! I really know nothing about this substance and chickens though........

JJ

 

[silkiechicken]

He could be very well old, my first roo passed away when he was 7 or so. It seems if the birds can get accross that 6-8 bump, you will have them for a long time to come. Else, that bump is what gets them. I personally avoid supplementing and givng too much extras here and there as it can throw off their balance. In theory, if all they are allowed to eat is poultry feed, they should be balanced, however, we all know that bit of extra on the side is good for them in the long run. Good luck!

 

[SpottedCrow]

Between Slifer and Obelisk, Slifer used to have the Great Dane splort going on all the time, but Obelisk was more of smaller ploops.

I would only worry if it's a bright, like a Kelly Green. That means that there's no food being digested and what's being produced is just bile.

He's probably letting Annie get all the good stuff first and then goes for the chow when he thinks about it.
pssst...we need pics you know.

 

[sammi]

this might sound like a dumb question..but..

try and see if he is drinking water.
sometimes they don't like water when it's really cold, and don't drink enough.

I have a roo that had a similar problem a few summers ago..
it had been very hot, and I was putting ice cubes in the water to help cool them and also to slow down algae in water.
then he started these small tight grayish green droppings.
I noticed he didn't drink as much as the hens.

I put out another waterer without ice cubes..and he drank it, and droppings got better.

maybe it was a fluke..

but I know if they don't drink water, they eat less.

he also doesn't drink much when I put meds, wormers or any additives in the water.

just a thought.

 

[jjthink]

Thanks very much for thinking about BJ

Sometimes BJ's poop is a brightish green, sometimes olive. Given the weight loss (albeit, gradual), for some reason he is not eating enough or it's not being absorbed properly...

Since Annie, like her also once feisty predecessor Betty (RIP), wants to eat precisely whatever BJ is eating - and I mean the very morsel that is the subject of his interest - including stealing right from his beak (and he willingly complies every time) I put out multiple bowls of food and hand feed him a lot, because otherwise the poor boy would starve.

I admit that BJ has always always had disdain for the "balanced" feeds (this is many years running now) so to force the issue a bit I try for several hours a day to make sure that stuff is the only option, hoping he will resort to any port in a storm. It is also the only thing available for the first couple of hours in the morning when they are still coop-bound (it's possible he's refusing it and holding out for better options tho I don't think having some seeds and bits of fruit or veggies is really bad - more pure, less processed whole foods probably have bennies, and he seems to regulate the amount).

BJ should have gained weight since coming back to me in July after being away for several months (long story... SC knows...) but it looks like he's continuing to lose instead.

Sammi, your question about water is not a dumb one at all and I thank you for having me think about it. I do see BJ drink but whether he drinks enough I really don't know. I saw him eating little bits of snow yesterday. There is almost always Avia Charge 2000 in their water, not at the strength recommended on the container, because they won't touch the water at all at that concentration. I make it more like a tea color than the coffee color it would be at the "prescribed" levels. I still think this makes water less palatable yet I'm pretty sure BJ needs the nutrients given his utter disdain for wild game bird or other "balanced" foods. So it's a bit of a dilemma. If I offer plain water and Avia water, I'm sure they'll opt for the plain water. Maybe I should alternate every other day - I hadn't yet done this because I figured the Avia water would taste worse to them, because they'd have nice pure water to compare it to....

Annie is forever eating and drinking and pooping to beat the band, unlike BJ, so whatever is going on is exclusive to him. I've been noticing in recent times that while she runs around eating grass and worms he just stands guard, eating none of that good stuff.

I'm just hoping he's not in pain.

Crud - this is probably long again. JJ

 

[SpottedCrow]

You could tell if he was in pain, Judy.
He'd lay down a lot or stand in one place or on one foot.
When Slifer was in alot of pain, she'd pant...
Sounds to me like he's being a roo and a darned good one...

He's an older guy so he may not eat or want to eat as much as he could at one time.

 

[jjthink]

Thanks Spotted - I feel like you know BJ almost as well as I do!
He does mostly just stand or lie around, now having taken to standing or lounging on the back doormat, for hours on end. She goes to the front doormat so there is a chicken at either door. They could be exploring but they just play doorman and doorhen. It's soooooo odd! Yet he is eager for treats - go figure. Hoping better weather increases exploring - if it doesn't I know he's got troubles......though, like you said, he could be old if his genetics have deemed him old at 7, give or take....I don;t move around as much as I used to either.....:|

I am sorry about the pain Slifer had.....
JJ

 

[courtneyq]

I found this thread trying to get to the bottom of my hen's small and vaguely greenish droppings and weight loss. It sounds like a very similar situation going on with my two hens. They did have worms, but have been through treatment, and don't seem to have them back again. I also wondered about a growth or other obstruction. I have been adding apple cider vinegar to their water and occasionally light vitamins to help them bounce back, so perhaps one hen isn't drinking enough. I'll try plain fresh water and see if it helps. She seems to be pretty healthy and happy and eats well, but is rather skinny. Did you ever figure out what it was ailing your roo? Hope your chickens are doing well!