Sue Peters Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 I feel the need to get onto the topic of my girls' waste products. I've recently let them have the run of the garden and have also been giving them kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s in the afternoon. One of them is now producing extremely runny poos with lots of white runny bits. Have I introduced too much to their diet too quickly? The kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s have included: - cheese (a friend gives hers cheese but I don't see anyone else on the forum mentioning this so am a bit worried now) - muesli with warm milk - lettuce - cabbage - corn on the cob (okay maybe they aren't kitcehn s"Ooops, word censored!"s but specially prepared treats for them) They love all of the above. They are still eating lots of pellets and seem happy enough. Any ideas and should I change what I'm doing? Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 Hi Sue, It looks like your menu is fine and I was reliably informed by a chicken expert on the River Cottage forum that runny droppings occur frequently and are nothing to worry about unless they are bright green! Mine quite often have a milky white liquid in them and I've read that this is a chicken version of urine and it's nothing to worry about. They may be a bit runnier than normal as they've started exploring the garden and have overdosed on slugs! It doesn't sound like a problem but someone may be along later who knows more about chicken poo than I do! Have fun hen watching Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammi J Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 Spooky! I was just about to start a topic asking the same thing. Over the last few weeks their poo has been getting more and more runny. I to was wondering if it was all the treats from the kitchen, I do seem to be treating them more and more. The poo is the same colour as a 'normal' poo apart from lot of white watery bits. The chooks seem as happy as always though, so hopefully it's nothing to worry about. Sammi -x- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 I don't think it is anything to worry about, I have found that giving them oats mixed with bio, live yoghurt helps a lot with this problem. Give it a try you can make your own live yoghurt using a thermos flask I make up 1 batch every week using 1 pint of full fat milk and 1 tablespoon of live yoghurt. Boil the milk then let it cool to body temp. add the live yoghurt and put in the flask leave in a warm place for 12 hours then it can be stored in the fridge for up to 6 days. Good luck try about 2 tablespoons mixed with oats to a thick paste they love it and it sorts out any tummy troubles balances the good and bad bacteria...................... P.S don't forget to save 1 tablespoon of your yoghurt as a starter for your next batch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Peters Posted February 4, 2005 Author Share Posted February 4, 2005 Thanks for your suggestions. I've taken a few on board and have cut down the amount of treats and we now have nice, thick solid poos!! Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 Glad to hear they are now doing well Sue. We have one which is doing yellow ones so I've got to go and watch to find out which one! - the housework will never be done! Lesley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clare* Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 Hello My new Gingernut Bacon has only produced completely liquid poo since I got her monday. 4 days ago. This morning she seemed really listless,just crouching down and not at all alert. I have let both the chickens out in the garden today and she looks quite happy. Should I be concerned. There are no white bits in it and no lumps at all. I would not say it is green but is on the yellowy brown side!! A bit like a newborn babys nappy colour I think the colour is best described. She is drinking but definately not quite right. Any adivce welcome as Ive only had the girls 4 days. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 Hi Clare, If you're worried, I'd either ring Johannes at Omlet - he knows all about runny poo or take her to see a vet in case she's got an infection or something. Usually I wouldn't worry about a hen with runny droppings but as you've said she's listless and not right, it might be worth getting her checked over. It's probably nothing, just a change of food but if she's not herself, it's always a worry. Good luck and let us know how she's doing, won't you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clare* Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 Day six - plenty of normal poo today She is very settled now,only looking fed up when wanting to be let of of the run. I will put it down to moving gitters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 Phew, that's a relief. These darned chickens know how to get us worried don't they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crooked Chicken Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 Had my lovely chooks 2 weeks now. One of them is doing liquid poo (orangy brown no white or lumps), but not sure which one All chickens seem perky. This has more or less been the case since we've got them. I am worried but there's obviously nothing I can do without knowing which one it is. They won't eat ANY treats I give them. Sweetcorn, cooked cabbage, lettuce, mashed potato, tomatoes, raisins - NOTHING. The only things they have eaten (with relish) are Spagetti Hoops, Baked Beans, bread and corn (and some rabbit food). Everyone raves about how yellow the yolks are on your own free range eggs if you give them green-stuff. God knows what mine will be like when I eventually get any - but it's not for want of trying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motherhen Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 Hi Sue, If you can cope with their plaintive crys, it might be worth letting them only have layers mash/pellets for a few days to help bowels etc settle down. Once things look normal, then you can introduce the beloved treats in small quantities and monitor how it suits them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crooked Chicken Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 Thanks for that Motherhen. I let them out of the run, most afternoons, to eat the grass and scratch around (they love being out). Should I keep them in for a bit do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motherhen Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 Grass will be fine, just be strong-willed over the treats until everything has settled down. Be warned, hens can be extremely persuasive and are very good actresses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aida Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 Hi all. I have been having a liqid poop problem (well, not me personally, but two of my lovely birds) since I got them too, and it's only justs ettled down now after three weeks with the aid of PORRIDGE. I mixed up some pinhead oatmeal (not rolled oats, which look like flakes) with some raw millet and yogurt and they eat it like piglets till the whole lot os gone (around two tbsp of oats to one of millet and yogurt, and loosen with a little milk) and after three days of this without other treats and their eating a heap of grass (they freerange as well as getting layers pellets) all is well again. Best treats they enjoy are chopped pita bread (very tiny pieces, so one seems to last forever) sweetcorn fresh off the cob and the porridge mash described above. The family are all porridge eaters, so now the hens are officially "family" too. Tip if anyone wants to try this - don;t buy your oats from a supermarket where the markup is tremendous. Buy from a wee healthstore with the stuff in bags. And remember it's PINHEAD you want, the stuff that looks like little beads in powder. Good for your family too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crooked Chicken Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 Let the chickens out this morning and cleaned out their litter tray. There were two poos in there that had red in it. I can't say if it was blood. They did have baked beans last night (only a few), but it wasn't orange, it was red. I am worried, but they all look perky. Re the porridge thing - supermarket stuff (although expensive) would be better option for me. Do you think scotts porridge oats would be ok? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aida Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 Hi Sue. I had that red stuff in the droppings thing as well, and it passed over. It seemed (only seemed, mark you - I am a novice but observant!) to be something to do with eating slugs and/or worms which they seem to find terrifying quantities of in our back garden. It passed, and comes back now and then. Re the oats, if you only have access to a supermarket, that's difefrent! Scotts (and Quaker, I think) do make pinhead oatmeal, but you would do well to ask for it. The "normal" Scotts stuff is rolled oats, which are the pieces of oat flattened out into a thing like an uncooked cornflake. They do that because it cooks quicker that way. I guess it would be fine if you could only find rolled oats, but let them soak a wee bit in the yogurt (use BIO yogurt so they get the right bacteria that will make their gut more resilient) so they soften enough for their wee throats. I think that would be fine. I think the BEST indicator of how they are is whether they're perky, their usual selves, in other words. Hope the yogurt and meal does the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crooked Chicken Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 Thanks Aida. Chickens have been out all day today. No more red, but still one of them is doing liquid poo. Will try and monitor daily (difficult on working days) and will definitely try the porridge and bio yog mixture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 8, 2005 Share Posted August 8, 2005 Sue, one of my girls waas doing quite disgusting runny poos, but tried the bio yoghurt and oats (rolled, as it's all I could get!), and everything has solidified quite nicely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aida Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 Hi Shona - I bet your chickens loved the stuff, too. Good to know rolled oats do it as well. Hope it works for you too, Sue. As an extra tip, this also works with kids and husbands - we all eat the stuff when we are - er - somewhat too loose for comfort (minus the uncooked millet in our case). I am not sure whether to think of it as a Scottish or Swiss cure since it's so like natural muesli... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 I have only had my chooks a day (since yesterday morning) and there poo has been brown and runny, white liqiud, yellow and runny, some with bits of red in and then theres been the normal type. Bes and Anna are both doing all the different types but are perkyand seem happy enough. I am very worried about them but its probely first time chicken keeper type thing. I am 13 just felt like telling you guys that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 I have only had my chooks a day (since yesterday morning) and there poo has been brown and runny, white liqiud, yellow and runny, some with bits of red in and then theres been the normal type. Bes and Anna are both doing all the different types but are perkyand seem happy enough. I am very worried about them but its probely first time chicken keeper type thing.I am 13 just felt like telling you guys that. You just felt like telling us you were 13 or just felt like telling us about the technicolour poo I think that you'll find that there are all sorts of different poos and most of them are nothing to worry about - you know us lot, we do like talking poop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 No no... I felt like telling you I was 13, I told you about the poo cos I was worried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 No no... I felt like telling you I was 13, I told you about the poo cos I was worried. Oh, that's ok then. You can tell that some of us are a smidgen over 13 as we dont talk about our ages I really wouldnt worry too much - if you have fairly recently got your chooks they will take some time to settle down and get into the swing of things poo wise (did I really say that ) but if you look in the forum there are lots of poo postings (AGAIN did I really say that ) so that might help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 thanks more info on there poo tomorrow (lucky you huh) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
