I know this is disgusting. We have a Doberman two year old who in an inside dog, basically, but needs to and does get outside for exercise. Since we got the chickens, It seemed to me that she wasn't getting out enough, cause if the chickens were scratching near the back door, we won't let her out. The electric fence for the horses starts a few yards from the back steps, and the chickens have figured out that if they are in the electric fence, Poopsie can't get to them, so we let her out then. We started a coupla weeks ago taking Poopsie in the fence area when we feed up and the chickens are preparing to roost, so she can run and be safe. She immediately started eating a big bite of manure! Phil rebuked her. Most of it is scratched down by the chickens anyway.
After a few days of supervising her with the horses, we started turning her out with them for a couple of hours a day for exercise. Well, it's my fault, but when I went out last evening for my last trip to the barn, I wouldn't let her go out with me and when I got in she had pooped in the floor. When I went to clean it up I could see that it had a LOT of hay and alfalfa cube fiber in it! I don't guess it is hurting her, cause she has and is behaving just fine, but "what the h#$$!" Apparently she has been eating the manure on a regular basis! I joked that all the animal have the same staples in their diet. Chickens and Poopsie are all eating the horses "left-overs"!
Last time DH bought dog food he bought something different than what she usually gets and is bout finished with it and will go back to the Natural Choice. As a matter of fact, I think I will start mixing it in with the little bit of the other that is left this moment!
Sheesh!
- Location: coastal South Carolina
- Joined: 6/2007
- Posts: 218
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Really, our dogs are the same way - "what a great treat!" is their thinking. At least they're not like my friend's dog who brings the road apples into the house and hides them for later consumption!:o
I have been around plenty of dogs and plenty of horses, but they weren't MY dog! And...well I just had no clue. I really thought it was something missing in her diet! I thought she might get sick the first time I saw her do it, but she didn't, and she has obviously been doing it on a fairly regular (pun intended) basis since with no harm done...
One thing is for sure. Doesn't matter who their mama and daddy is, a dog is a dog after all.
