Diarrhea in chickens can be alarming for backyard chicken keepers. The occasional loose stool is normal but consistent watery droppings may indicate an underlying health issue needing treatment.
Understanding the common causes of chicken diarrhea allows you to identify and address the problem early, This article explores the main reasons chickens get diarrhea and how to treat it
What is Chicken Diarrhea?
Normal chicken droppings should be solid and brown, often with a white urate cap. However, chickens also pass cecal droppings which are looser and smellier – this is perfectly normal.
Diarrhea in chickens looks like colored water or very loose, unformed stool. Other signs include:
- Constant watery, smelly droppings
- Dirty vent area caked in poop
- Listlessness, poor appetite, puffed feathers
Diarrhea in chicks is especially serious as they can quickly become dehydrated.
9 Common Causes of Chicken Diarrhea
There are several potential causes of diarrhea in backyard chickens:
1. Diet
Eating too much of certain foods can cause temporary diarrhea. For example, an excess of blackberries may turn droppings red or black. Remove the food source and diarrhea should resolve in 24-36 hours.
2. Heat Stress
Chickens drink more water to cool down in hot weather, which leads to loose droppings. Provide ample clean water with electrolytes and ensure they have shade. Standing in cool water also helps.
3. Medications
Antibiotics, especially over prolonged periods, may disrupt gut flora and cause diarrhea. This should resolve once medication ends. Inform your vet.
4. Worms
A heavy worm burden can damage the intestinal lining, causing bloody diarrhea. You may even see worms in the stool. Treat the flock with a chicken dewormer.
5. Infections
Bacterial or viral illnesses like coccidiosis and avian influenza can cause watery diarrhea, often with other symptoms like lethargy, poor appetite, or respiratory issues. Seek veterinary diagnosis and treatment.
6. Organ Issues
Diarrhea may signal underlying problems like enteritis, liver disease, kidney failure, or egg yolk peritonitis. This requires veterinary assessment and care.
7. Toxins
Ingesting toxins like mold, poisonous plants, or contaminated feed causes severe diarrhea. Remove the source and monitor the bird closely. Call a vet if condition persists.
8. Stress
Stress from events like adding new flock members, predators, or loud noises may cause temporary diarrhea. It should resolve as the bird adjusts.
9. Unknown Causes
Sometimes the cause is unclear. Monitor the bird’s hydration levels and energy. Seek veterinary advice if diarrhea persists beyond 2-3 days.
How to Treat Chicken Diarrhea
Treatment depends on the cause but focus on keeping the chicken hydrated and nourished.
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For dietary diarrhea, simply remove the food source.
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During heat stress, provide clean water with electrolytes/vitamins. Make a wet mash to encourage eating.
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For antibiotic-related diarrhea, ask your vet if medication should continue. Give electrolytes.
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For worms, deworm the flock per product instructions.
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For infections, isolate the bird and follow vet recommendations for medication.
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Discontinue any suspicious feeds or treats.
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Monitor closely and call a vet if condition worsens or persists beyond 2-3 days.
How to Prevent Chicken Diarrhea
You can reduce the risk of diarrhea by:
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Practicing good biosecurity like quarantining new birds
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Providing balanced, high quality feed
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Keeping coops clean and dry
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Controlling flies, mosquitoes, rodents, and wild birds
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Avoiding introducing lots of new foods at once
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Reducing stressors like loud noises or harassment
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Monitoring flock health – catch issues early
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Ensuring clean water availability in hot weather
When to See the Vet
Contact your avian vet if diarrhea continues beyond 2-3 days or the bird seems lethargic, weak, or dehydrated. Bloody or black diarrhea also warrants urgent veterinary care.
Chicken diarrhea has many potential causes. Dietary changes, heat, medications, worms, infections, toxins, stress, and unknown factors can all trigger loose droppings. Treatment depends on the cause but focus on hydration and nutrition while addressing the underlying problem. Prevent diarrhea through proper feeding, cleanliness, biosecurity, and flock health monitoring. Seek timely veterinary advice for persistent, worsening, or bloody diarrhea.
Operation Clean Chicken Poop: Preventing and Treating Diarrhoea in Poultry
Preventing and treating irregular poultry poop involves identifying and addressing the condition’s underlying cause. Antibiotics may be necessary for bacterial infections to eliminate the bacteria responsible for diarrhoea. However, it is essential to note that the overuse of antibiotics in poultry can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.
Steps To Prevent Poultry Diarrhea
- Improving Nutrition: This can also help prevent diarrhoea in poultry. Providing a balanced diet that meets the nutritional requirements of the birds can help maintain the health of the digestive system and prevent diarrhoea. Additionally, providing clean and uncontaminated feed and water can help prevent the development of diarrhoea.
- Environmental Management: Managing the environment of the poultry farm can also help prevent unusual stool. Ensuring adequate ventilation, reducing overcrowding, and maintaining appropriate temperature, humidity levels, and poultry winter management can all help reduce the risk of diarrhoea.
- Vaccination: Vaccination can also help prevent the development of diarrhoea in poultry. Vaccines are available for several viral and bacterial infections that can cause diarrhoea in young chickens. Vaccinating birds can help prevent the development of these infections.
- Proper Hygiene: Maintain a clean and hygienic environment for your poultry. Keep their living area clean and dry, and regularly remove any litter or droppings. We previously discussed about litter management in poulty , you can check out this blog also.
- Water Management: Ensure that your poultry always has access to clean and fresh water. Ensure the water source is contamination-free and monitor water quality frequently.
- Balanced Diet: Feed your poultry a balanced diet with proper nutrients. Avoid sudden changes in their diet, as it can cause digestive problems.
- Biosecurity Measures: Implement biosecurity measures to prevent introducing diseases to your poultry. This includes controlling the movement of your farm’s people, animals, and equipment.
4 Causes of Diarrhea and Wet Droppings in Poultry
FAQ
How do you treat diarrhea in chickens?
Why does my chicken poop liquid?
Runny droppings can be a sign of diarrhoea, which could be caused by bacterial or viral infections, parasites, or diet issues.May 24, 2023
How to treat bird diarrhea?
These birds should be kept warm and provided with adequate fluids and electrolyte supplementation to prevent dehydration. Pepto-Bismol and Kaopectate can be useful. The bird should be taken to the veterinarian for proper diagnostic work up.
What does chicken poop look like with coccidiosis?
What causes chicken diarrhea?
One common cause of chicken diarrhea is an imbalance in the gut flora. The gut flora helps with digestion and keeping the intestines healthy. An imbalance in the gut flora can lead to digestive problems and diarrhea. Another common cause of chicken diarrhea is coccidiosis, which is caused by a protozoan parasite.
How do you know if a hen has diarrhea?
Diarrhea in chickens will be very loose or not formed at all, it may look like colored water. When the dropping has a loose consistency and becomes watery and/or foul smelling it is diarrhea. In addition to this if your hen looks ragged and tatty and sits off by herself then the alarm bells should start ringing – this is a sick hen.
Do chickens have diarrhoea?
Kidney Damage: Chickens with some type of kidney damage may appear as if they have diarrhoea, when in fact, it’s a result of increased urates (the term for a bird’s urine) mixing in with the normal waste matter causing looser droppings. Help! One of My Chooks Has Diarrhoea!
What causes diarrhea in broiler chickens?
One of the most common causes of diarrhea in broiler chickens is an infection with the bacteria Escherichia coli. This type of infection is usually passed through contaminated food or water, and it can cause severe illness in these birds. Symptoms of E. coli infection include watery or bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss.
What causes white diarrhea in chickens?
Chickens are susceptible to a number of different diseases and parasites that can cause white diarrhea. Some of the most common include coccidiosis, salmonella, and giardia. All of these conditions are potentially serious and require prompt treatment by a veterinarian.
Why does my Hen have diarrhea?
It is caused by a malfunction in transferring an egg from the ovary to the infundibulum. The yolk becomes internalized and can quickly become infected; any diarrhea produced will look like egg yolk. This usually leads to peritonitis and septicemia, so veterinary intervention is vital to give your hen a chance.