Do you find that food with a high water content gives your chickens diarrhea?

[P-Dog]

Aloha everyone,

A couple of weeks ago I gave my flock a watermelon. Obviously, it has a high water content and the girls were pooping liquid the whole next day. This morning I gave them chopped tomatoes and asparagus that were too soft for the humans in the family. They loved them! This afternoon, the girls have liquid stool again. Is this normal? High water content foods give liquid stools?

If so, how long should it last? Can I feed them anything to firm up the poop?

What other foods cause this delightful occurrence?

Mahalo in advance!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Do you provide a poultry food like layer feed or a flock raiser?
Fruits, vegetables, etc. with a high water content will most likely cause watery stools. While fruits/veggies are a good source of vitamins/minerals, chickens still need a complete nutrition that is found in poultry food. If fruits/veggies are given as treats then the watery stools should diminish.

 

[pdirt]

Yes, watery foods like watermelon can give them watery stools. All their body waste comes out mixed together, like all other birds. Unlike humans where stool and urine come separated.

 

[MeepBeep]

Yes, what you feed them changes the consistency and color of their poop... It's not just 'watery' stuff that effects their consistency either other foods will, also weather changes and the resulting changes in water intake will effect things...

I rotate daily through a vast variety of fresh foods for my chickens, their poop can vary from one extreme to the other...

 

[P-Dog]

Thank you. Their main food is organic layer feed. The fruits and vegetables are daily treats. They also get my parrots uneaten food everyday. They love that.

I figured it was perfectly normal, but it's always good to get confirmation!

 

[ChickNanny13]

Feed my girls FF so normally their poop is firm but learned that there are certain fruits & veggies that will cause "watery" poop.
Hung a pear off the Samoan Coconut branch, they loved it but their poop was like water. Apples won't, Papaya won't, Iceberg lettuce does, Romaine or Green Leaf won't....Pears were the worst, so that was the last time. Wanted to try watermelon but can imagine that mess

 

[mimsy]

Thank you. Their main food is organic layer feed. The fruits and vegetables are daily treats. They also get my parrots uneaten food everyday. They love that.

I figured it was perfectly normal, but it's always good to get confirmation!

I do that too, not just the veggies and fruits either, I toss them the pellets that were turned to powder as well.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you. Their main food is organic layer feed. The fruits and vegetables are daily treats. They also get my parrots uneaten food everyday. They love that.

I figured it was perfectly normal, but it's always good to get confirmation!

Sounds like a great diet.
Mine love to get something they think is "special"