The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Foobar on July 25, 2013, 04:25:01 pm

Title: Undigested food in hens droppings
Post by: Foobar on July 25, 2013, 04:25:01 pm
I've started finding undigested food - grass or grains - in some of my hen's poop over the past few weeks.  They all appear to be in good health though, and they have access to plenty of grit and oyster shell.  Is this something that I need to worry about?  They were last flubenvet'd in May.
Title: Re: Undigested food in hens droppings
Post by: chrismahon on July 25, 2013, 10:30:41 pm
It is grit that's the problem Foobar. But for the grit to grind the grains they need to move about and it's too hot for that. Grit sits in the Crop and the Gizzard, but if large amounts of water are going through the paste won't be thick enough to grind. We have the same at the moment -nothing to be concerned about.
Title: Re: Undigested food in hens droppings
Post by: Fleecewife on July 25, 2013, 11:03:32 pm
Interesting and informative reply chrismahon.  I think probably we will all be having that problem.   Time to inspect hen poop then........
 
What we have here is undigested hen food in dog droppings  ::)    I don't know why, but my dogs love to steal grain from the hens and of course they can't digest it.  If the hens find any then they get it the second time around  :P
Title: Re: Undigested food in hens droppings
Post by: Foobar on July 26, 2013, 09:18:20 am
Ahhh! I thought it might have been something to do with the heat as it started about the same time as that did.
Brilliant, thank you muchly :D.