Poultry Droppings / Chicken Poop Color Guide

Observing bird droppings is like checking a bird's health report. It helps find problems in the bird's stomach or intestines early. This is important because it can stop big problems like losing money from fewer eggs or meat and even prevent many birds from dying. Look at droppings near where birds drink water to get a clear picture. Also, check the birds themselves, especially around their back end (cloaca) and feathers. If these areas are dirty or have dried droppings, it might mean the bird has diarrhea.

1. Poultry Droppings
Color Guide
DIARY NOTES
Compiled by - Dr. Ibne Ali (Ali Veterinary Wisdom)
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Poultry Droppings/ Chicken Poop Color Guide -
Loose Droppings
In this lecture we will do evaluation of poultry
droppings (chicken poop) through color, consistency and
its amount in the farm. Observing chicken poop is like
checking a bird's health report. It helps find problems in
the bird's stomach or intestines early. This is important
because it can stop big problems like losing money from
fewer eggs or meat and even prevent many birds from
dying.
Introduction:
Observing bird droppings is like checking a bird's health
report. It helps find problems in the bird's stomach or
intestines early. This is important because it can stop
big problems like losing money from fewer eggs or meat
and even prevent many birds from dying.
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Types of Droppings:
Poultry produce two types of droppings: fecal and cecal.
1. Fecal Droppings: Normal fecal droppings are small,
molded, with a white urate cap. They often have a
down feather attached and show no signs of wetness.
They are dry, greenish-brown in color, and lack mucus
or undigested grains.
2. Cecal Droppings: Normal cecal droppings vary in
color (from dark brown to almost black) and are firm,
smooth, viscous, and smelly.
Picture 1 - Normal healthy poultry
droppings which comes from well digested
intestinal content
Picture 2 - Normal chocolaty poultry cecal
droppings
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Evaluating Droppings:
When examining droppings, consider the following
factors:
Water content: Assess whether the droppings are
normal, moderately moist, watery, or very liquid
(diarrhea).
Volume: Note any increase in the volume of
droppings.
Consistency: Observe any loss of consistency, such
as watery or foamy droppings.
Color: Look for color changes, particularly the
presence of melena (digested blood) or fresh blood.
Oily appearance: Check for an oily sheen on the
droppings.
Presence of undigested feed: Note any undigested
feed in the droppings.
Abnormal smell: Detect any unusual odors
associated with the droppings.
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Location of droppings:
Observe droppings around waterers, as this provides a
consistent location for evaluation. Also examine the
birds themselves, especially the cloacal area and
feathers, for signs of soiling or staining with diarrheal
droppings.
Picture 3 - Poultry droppings near
drinkers and feeders tell us about
gut health
Picture 4 - White diarrhea in
poultry soiled on vent area
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6. As observant poultry keepers, you need to be able to
spot subtle changes in droppings that might indicate an
emerging problem.
Fecal Droppings: Look for changes in size, consistency,
and moisture content. If the droppings are larger than
usual, starting to lose their form, appearing oily, or
becoming wetter, it could be the first sign of an
intestinal disorder.
Cecal Droppings: Any change in consistency, especially
towards a watery, foamy, or discolored appearance,
indicates early signs of cecal dysfunction.
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Identifying Early Warning Signs
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7. We try to provide you a detailed guide to interpreting
the appearance of poultry droppings as an indicator of
gut health. The information can be categorized into
four levels of concern: healthy, red flag, bad, and
danger.
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Notes on Poultry Droppings Appearance
1. Healthy Poultry Droppings:
Fecal Droppings: Small, well-formed with a white urate
cap, greenish-brown color, dry and odorless, may have
a down feather attached.
Cecal Droppings: Vary in color (dark brown to almost
black), firm, smooth, viscous, and smelly.
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8. Fecal Droppings: Increased size, beginning to lose
structure, oily appearance, increased moisture.
Cecal Droppings: Watery, loss of consistency, foamy,
color change, indicating early cecal dysfunction.
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2. Red Flag Droppings indicate beginning of
problem:
Picture 5 - Changes in fecal
droppings such as increased size,
the beginning of destructuration,
an oily appearance, and
increased moisture are early
warning signs of an intestinal
disorder.
Picture 6 - Watery cecal droppings
with a loss of consistency,
foaminess, and color change
indicate early cecal dysfunction.
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9. Fecal Droppings: Watery, loss of firmness, undigested
feed, may have orange mucus.
Cecal Droppings: Foamy, color change, liquid, no
consistency.
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3. Bad Droppings Which Require Immediate
Intervention to Reduce Losses:
Picture 7 - Watery fecal droppings, especially those containing
undigested food, mucus, necrotic material, or orange content, and
in cecal droppings foamy, or discolored appearance, are clear signs
of a serious condition.
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10. Fecal Droppings: Watery diarrhea, undigested feed,
mucus, necrotic material, and/or blood.
Cecal Droppings: Very foamy (mousse-like), spread out,
color change, liquid.
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4. Danger Droppings are Sure Sign of Very Serious
Problem and Accompanied with Mortality:
Picture 8 - The presence of blood, whether fresh or digested (melena) in
poultry droppings, is a significant red flag and should never be ignored. It
can indicate various conditions, including coccidiosis, hemorrhagic enteritis,
or even injuries.
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12. Here we provide some specific examples of diseases and
conditions associated with abnormal droppings:
Aviadenovirosis (Inclusion Body Hepatitis): Can cause
diarrheic droppings, sometimes with undigested feed.
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Examples of Conditions Associated with Dropping
Appearance
Picture 9 - Yellow: Suggestive of issues like inclusion body hepatitis (IBH),
avian enterovirus-like virus infection, histomoniasis, or poult enteritis
mortality syndrome (PEMS)
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13. Eimeria acervulina: Can cause diarrhea with orange
mucus.
Eimeria maxima: Associated with orange droppings.
Eimeria tenella: Can cause hemorrhagic cecal
droppings.
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Coccidiosis
Picture 10 - Coccidiosis (Eimeria tenella): This parasitic infection
specifically affects the ceca, causing hemorrhagic cecal droppings. (Eimeria
maxima or E. acervulina): These types of coccidiosis can cause orange
droppings, sometimes accompanied by diarrhea. Eimeria acervulina is
specifically associated with orange mucus in the droppings.
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14. Fumonisins Intoxication: Can cause severe changes in
fecal droppings.
Brachyspira spp. infection: Causes very foamy, spread
out, discolored, and liquid cecal droppings (as shown in
picture 7).
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Other Problems
Picture 7 - Watery fecal droppings, especially those containing
undigested food, mucus, necrotic material, or orange content, and
in cecal droppings foamy, or discolored appearance, are clear signs
of a serious condition.
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15. it has been emphasized that observing droppings is just
one tool for assessing poultry gut health. It's crucial to
also consider:
Water Content: The moisture level of droppings can
indicate litter quality and potential enteritis issues.
Tools like the ELANCOBOX can help assess water
content.
ELANCOBOX: The ELANCOBOX is a tool used to assess
the water content of droppings and ensure good litter
quality (which helps prevent skin diseases and
pododermatitis). It involves placing absorbent paper on
the litter under a slatted box where birds defecate. This
system allows for a good assessment of moisture
content. It's essential to consider the flock's water
consumption to determine whether watery droppings
result from overconsumption (non-pathological) or
intestinal damage with impaired reabsorption.
Water Consumption: High water intake can contribute
to watery droppings, but it's essential to determine
whether it's due to overconsumption or intestinal
damage affecting water reabsorption.
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Other Important Observations
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Other Important Observations
Picture 11a - ELANCOBOX set up and structure used to determine
consistency of poultry droppings.
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Other Important Observations
Picture 11b - In absence or ELANCOBOX a simple newspaper can be
placed below chickens and observe the mositure spread left by
droppings. Larger the stain higher the moisture content of droppings.
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19. Poultry Dropping / Chicken Poop Color and Related
Diseases
Here is a comprehensive guide to interpreting the color
of poultry droppings like brown diarrhea in chickens as
an indicator of potential health issues. Here's a
breakdown of different colors and the associated
diseases:
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Color Guide: The color of chicken poop (droppings) /
diarrhea can provide clues to its underlying cause
Orange droppings
Causes:
Sloughing of the intestinal
mucosa
Coccidiosis (Eimeria
maxima or E. acervulina)
Hypoglycemia
Spiking Mortality
Syndrome (HSMS) of
broiler chickens
Loss of carotenes and
vitamins
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20. Causes:
Inclusion Body Hepatitis
(Aviadenovirosis)
Avian Enterovirus-like virus
infection
Histomoniasis (Blackhead)
Poult Enteritis Mortality
Syndrome (PEMS)
Maldigestion and fermentation in
the ceca (can cause foamy
yellow droppings)
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Yellow droppings
Caramel droppings
Causes:
Brachyspira spp. infection
Early stage of Coccidiosis
(caramel droppings that
later become hemorrhagic
if coccidiosis is not treated
early)
Other parasitic
infestations
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21. Causes:
Fasting
Anorexia (related to disease)
Fat problems in feed (rancidity, quantity, absorption)
Acute septicemic diseases
Avian Influenza
Newcastle disease
Spirochaetosis
Fowl cholera
Duck Viral Enteritis
Hepatic diseases:
Clostridiosis
Colibacillosis
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Green droppings (chicken green diarrhea)
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22. Causes:
Acute Hemorrhagic
Enteritis:
Turkey Hemorrhagic
Enteritis (Siadenovirus)
Hemorrhagic Nephritis
Enteritis of Geese (HNEG)
Coccidiosis in chickens
(Eimeria tenella)
Parasites
Wounds
Cannibalism
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Red (Bloody) droppings
Gray droppings
Causes:
Malabsorption
Mixture of bile and urates
in droppings
Antitrypsin factor
(undercooked soybean or
rapeseed)
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23. Causes:
Malabsorption
Rapid intestinal transit
Infections
Disturb gut microbiota
Inadequate particle size
in the ration
Toxicity
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Undigested Feed
Important Note
Observing dropping color is a valuable tool for early
disease detection, but it's essential to consider other
factors like water content, water consumption, and the
overall health and behavior of the birds for accurate
diagnosis. Always consult a veterinarian for confirmation
and appropriate treatment.
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Additional Considerations for Accurate Diagnosis
Beyond the appearance of droppings, certain factors can
contribute to variations and should be considered for a
comprehensive diagnosis.
Water Content: Evaluating the moisture level in
droppings helps assess litter quality and aids in the
early detection of enteritis. Tools like the ELANCOBOX
offer a standardized method for this evaluation.
Water Consumption: It's crucial to assess the flock's
water intake to determine whether watery droppings are
caused by excessive drinking or intestinal damage
affecting water reabsorption.
Bird Observation: Pay close attention to the birds'
cloacal area and feathers for any signs of soiling or
staining with droppings, as this provides further clues
about their health status.
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Conclusion
This guide offers a framework for evaluating poultry
droppings and understanding potential causes of
abnormalities. Remember that this information is for
educational purposes only and should not replace
professional veterinary advice. If you observe concerning
changes in your flock's droppings, consult us for proper
diagnosis and treatment.
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Septima
Fights Infection and Intestinal Inflammation
Loose droppings and various intestinal diseases in poultry
are significant concerns for farmers. This condition is
known as sepsis. Several factors contribute to intra-
intestinal sepsis, including poor-quality feed, birds pecking
at litter for various reasons, and contaminated water.
These elements create an unfavorable environment in the
intestine, making it conducive for bacteria to flourish. As
the bacteria proliferate, they produce toxins such as LPS
and other harmful substances. This process damages the
intestinal membrane and cells, compromising the junctions
between intestinal epithelial cells. Consequently, this allows
pathogenic bacteria to enter the bloodstream, resulting in
a systemic infection referred to as sepsis.
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Page - 24
Septima effectively addresses
these infectious conditions by
reducing intestinal inflammation
and fortifying tight junctions.
This ultimately prevents gut
leakage and establishes the
foundation for a healthy and
productive poultry flock.