If you own chickens, it’s inevitable that you’re going to deal with chicken poop. While it may not be the most pleasant topic to think or talk about, it’s important to be knowledgeable about chicken poop. After all, your chickens’ poop can tell you a lot about their health and well-being.
In this article, we’ll take a close look at chicken poop and chicken poop chart. We’ll discuss what normal and abnormal chicken poop look like.
Chicken Poop Color
Have you ever noticed that chicken poop comes in a variety of colors? And have you ever wondered what those colors might mean? Well, you’re about to know more about chicken poop colors.
The truth is, there is no ‘normal’ color for chicken poop. The color of your chicken’s poop can vary depending on a variety of factors, including diet, health, and even stress levels. However, certain colors can be indications of problems. For example, green chicken poop could be a sign of illness, while blood in chicken poop could be a sign of coccidiosis.
So, what exactly do all those different chicken poop colors mean? Keep reading to find out!
Normal Chicken Poop
Healthy chicken poop should be deep brown and have a slightly moist, but not wet, consistency. It should not be sour-smelling, and there should be no visible parasites or worms. If you notice any changes in your chicken’s poop, such as a sudden change in color or consistency, it’s important to seek veterinary care as this could be a sign of illness.
Normal chicken poops are of different types:
- Regular chicken poop
- Broody hen poop
- Cecal chicken poop
Regular Chicken Poop
Chicken poop can take on many different appearances depending on what the chicken has ingested and the ambient temperature. Most healthy chicken poop is greyish, brownish, greenish, and has a fluffy white cap or deposit. The white cap is urate or uric acid.
Sometimes, if a chicken is passing out runny poop, it isn’t always a cause for alarm. Runny chicken poop isn’t always a cause for concern. A chicken could be excreting runny poop if the ambient temperature is hot. This is one of the ways the chicken body dissipates body heat when the weather is hot as it will consume more water than usual.
Broody Hen Poop
A broody hen’s poop is completely normal, though it is very repulsive. Broody hens don’t like to leave their nest often, so instead of pooping regularly, they will hold their droppings throughout the day. This results in a pile of brown or green, unpleasantly smelling poop.
Cecal Poop
The chicken cecum is a sac-like structure located at the junction of the small intestine and large intestine. This organ serves an important role in the digestive process by storing and breaking down food particles. The cecum is also home to a large number of bacteria, which help to further break down food and absorb nutrients.
A typical cecal dropping is brown, soft, and moist with a bad smell. This type of dropping sometimes alarms chicken owners, as they may mistake it for a sign of diarrhea and illness.
Abnormal Chicken Poop
Worm in Chicken Poop
If you find worms in your chickens’ droppings, this indicates they have an infestation of worms and will require medication. It is crucial to medicate your entire flock as worms can spread rapidly.
Red or Bloody Chicken Poop
Blood in chicken feces can be a sign of coccidiosis. Coccidiosis is a serious intestinal infection caused by parasitic protozoa known as Eimeria. The morbidity rate could be as high as 100% and the mortality rate ranges from 1% to 50%. Coccidiosis is usually highly suspected when the poop is red or blood is found in the poop. If the poop looks like a red lining, it may be due to the shedding of the intestinal wall linings.
Yellow and Foamy Chicken Poop
Yellow and foamy poop could be a sign of an intestinal worm infestation, coccidiosis, or salmonellosis (fowl typhoid). Other potential causes include consuming certain foods, such as strawberries or tomatoes, oats, or corn.
Green Chicken Poop
Green poop in chickens can be caused by some things, including starvation or loss of appetite, intestinal worm infestation, salmonellosis, Newcastle or Marek’s disease. The most likely cause, however, is simply that the chickens have consumed green vegetables, grasses, or herbs.
Brown Chicken Poop
Possible explanations for brown chicken poop include lead poisoning, Colibacillosis (E. coli), or Infectious Bronchitis. The most possible causes are ingestion of foods with higher liquid content, resulting in poop that is more like pudding.
White or Milky Poop
Pale or milky chicken poop is an indication of feed digestion problems, bacillary white diarrhea (pullorum), stress, coccidial, viral or fungal infections.
Chicken Poop Chart
A chicken poop chart showing the various chicken poop colors and their causes is presented below:
| Chicken Poop Color | Likely Cause | More Likely Cause |
| Yellowish | Fowl typhoid, coccidiosis, kidney malfunction, or internal worms | Taking some types of foods excessively like strawberries, forsythia blossoms, or corn |
| Greenish | Marek’s disease, Avian flu, or internal worms | Diet with a high content of weeds, greens, grasses as well as vegetables |
| Runny Brownish | Infectious bronchitis or E.coli | Eating foods with high liquid content, such as cucumbers, watermelon, celery, iceberg lettuce, zucchini |
| Blackish | Internal bleeding | Eating blackberries, charcoal, or similar dark purple/blue foods |
Please Note: If your chickens often go on free-ranging and leafy green treats in your garden, this is most likely healthy green poop.
