yucky poop question

[AinaWGSD]

I am new to chicken keeping, and this is my first batch of chicks. They are almost 3 weeks old now and everyone seems very active and healthy, running around, eating, drinking etc all seems normal. But I have noticed both when cleaning the brooder and when hanging out with the chicks that there are some very "sloppy," kind of dark stools. They are getting medicated feed, water is changed at least once a day (usually twice), and everyone seems healthy but I just wanted to make sure there wasn't anything else I should be doing to help them stay healthy.

 

[CorporateGranola]

I discovered this website earlier today, I hope it helps!

WARNING: not for those squeemish about poo.
http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0

 

[AinaWGSD]

Thanks so much for that link! The "sloppy" poops I've been seeing look pretty much exactly like the ceacal droppings in the photos on that website. I suspected that they weren't really a problem, since everyone is acting normally, but I'm glad to have something to compare them to. It's also good to have examples of some of the wide ranges of what "normal" droppings look like.

 

[Robo]

Take them off the medicated feed immediately.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Quote:
I'd really like something more compelling than a complete stranger telling me to "just do this" before I change my husbandry practices. I'm open to all suggestions, including switching to non-medicated feed, but I really need the reasoning behind the suggestion before I can really consider acting on it. Lots of people feed medicated chick starter with no problems, and if there were many well-documented issues with it I would imagine that it would be easier to find non-medicated feed in my area given the number of people raising chickens (of the three stores that sell chicken feed, only one carries a non-medicated option and even then they don't stock very much of it).

 

[Robo]

It puts stress on them, and will affect them when they are older. Sometimes nothing will happen, and sometimes they will loose their feathers and lack proper nutrition. I have seen this happen a few times with medicated feed, but never with non - medicated feed. Sorry I made you mad. I didn't mean to offend you.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Don't worry, you didn't make me mad or offend me, sorry if it sounded that way in my reply. I just like to know the why behind the suggestion, that's all.