My husband was out with the chickens this morning with our daughter and came inside the house, where I was making beds, to let me know that Dottie Speckles is eating chicken poop. He went on to tell me that it was a big wet nasty fresh poop!
I know that dogs eat poop. I know that people eat strange things too. I had never really thought about chickens, but I guess they can too. Sometimes, animals and humans will eat strange things because they are deficient in certain nutrients or vitamins. As a quickly growing bird, 14 week old Dottie Speckles, might be missing out out something. So, I decided to add some vitamins and electrolytes to the food. I added extra grit, just in case she was recycling grit from someone’s poop. I also gave them some yogurt, to help balance any abnormal bacterial levels in her gastrointestinal tract.
I hope that these few measure will make a difference. However, no matter what you do, there are some animals that just tend to do gross things! I hope I can get the message across to Dottie Speckles that eating poop is just not ladylike.
7 thoughts on “Potty Mouth”
Actually.. lol.. gross as this is.. but that is how chicks get some of their immunities from their Mom. (Really gross and just read this last night actually.. I was looking up about vaccines and ran across that tid bit of info.)
Although it can also be a fast way for the buggers to spread worms& ailments. I have 1 chick that is "gaping".. hence the freak out and research frenzy. Gapeworms… (shudder).. they give me nightmares!!! I still don't know if it is ok.. fiesty and sassy.. I have a good clue that it may be a rooster.
A few chicks have taken to riding a couple of keets. Chicken jockeys.. the keets walk around.. eat.. with a chicken almost as big as they are sitting on them.
I think I might have a lot of roosters… :/
Thank you Anne. Once again, glad to know I am not alone with this one. I hope you don't have all roos:( Keep me posted on that one!
We have a couple of hens for sure 🙂 one of which *always* jumps on to your hand when you reach in.. then promptly poops. Just the combs are really coming in strong on many of the rowdy ones. So far.. they are all "keepers".. although this does depend heavily on how well the boys behave.
I read at the beginning of my chicken adventure that it's quite common. They will pick out goodies from others poops…..yuck I know!!
Wow Anne! What fun it must be to finally figure out who is who! I hope your roosters behave. They are really a nice addition to a flock. Unfortunately, we had to rehome our two.
Glad to know Debra that you saw that one too! Yuck to say the least!
Our chickens eat dog, chicken, turkey, and goat poop. And our dogs eat chicken, turkey, and goat poop. *sigh* But our yard is pretty clean 🙂
Basicliving thanks for that! I guess it could be worse! Sorry to hear that 🙁 However, I do like the part about minimal clean-up!