Back yard vacuum

[J_Yonts]

Due to the fact that one of my dogs is a rabbit dog, I can exactly let my chickens and my dogs out at the same time. Not too big of an issue. However, my dogs also seem to think their job is to be an outside vacuume. They " cleanup" every place the chickens have been. Seriously, dog breath is bad enough, chicken poo dog breath is something out of a nightmare. How do I stop this and how dangerous is it for my dogs?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

If you find a way to stop it let me know. Dogs love eating poop. For the most part it causes no problems but bad breathe. Sometimes they can get sick, but I personally haven't experienced that with my at least 5 dogs at any one time, and multiple sources of poop over the past 30 years.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

If you find a way to stop it let me know. Dogs love eating poop. For the most part it causes no problems but bad breathe. Sometimes they can get sick, but I personally haven't experienced that with my at least 5 dogs at any one time, and multiple sources of poop over the past 30 years.

My dogs are partial to pig poop much to my disgust haha.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My dogs are partial to pig poop much to my disgust haha.

Thank goodness we don't have that on the menu. Ours like donkey poop best. A bit of chicken poop seems to a quick snack if any of them can snag it before they get caught.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'm sure there's a biological reason for it. Dogs would get some nutrients, and gut probiotics. Most all you animals need to eat their mothers poop to get their guts going.

 

[mixedbreeds]

I second the statement if you find a way to stop a dog from eating chicken poop please let us know. I hate when he does it but I give up yelling at him for it. Then when the hundreds of geese fly over there are additional tootsie rolls to scarf up. Labs are such garbage guts to begin with, this has been going on for years and no health problems just gross.

 

[TwoCrows]

Yes, dogs eating other animals poop is pretty disgusting. Yes there are probiotics in all poop as @oldhenlikesdogs said and many animals and birds do this.

All this being said, most but not all diseases are host specific, just like your dog can't catch your cold and you won't catch kennel cough. LOL BUT....I would make sure your dogs get their yearly Parvo shots, Rabies shot too. And if they were mine, I might have a fecal test once in a while, some species of Coccidia and worms can be transmitted.

 

[J_Yonts]

You all have been great, thanks. I had a feeling I was just going to have to add dog breath mints to the shopping list.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I scoop up poops as I can but even with supervised free range time, I can't find them all. And my dog homes in on them!

I've really been working on the Leave It command with him but if I'm not close enough, he'll eat it and then come hoping for a reward.

 

[mixedbreeds]

My lab is the worst he walks behind the chickens and bumps there butts with his nose, just gross. On the other hand he runs off hawks and whatever else might be around. Plus he is still a great hunting dog.