Can you potty train a chicken?

[Stiletto]

LOL. Once a new-mom co-worker told me (quite seriously) that you CAN potty-train a baby as young as 4-months old! They read about it somewhere! 4-month old babies cant even sit up, so seems dubious and more like the parent is trained to stress over potty training their infant! definitely chuckle-worthy.

I just looked this up. Fascinating! Apparently it is practised "in at least 75 countries including India, Kenya, and Greenland". There's a non-profit organisation in the US to support families practising "Elimination Communication" who have groups in 35 states and 11 countries. It seems to be a time-honoured practice all over the planet - from Africa to Asia.

As another poster noted, chickens poop in their sleep. Mammals do not do this and seek out a spot to relieve themselves. Birds walk, poop, and keep walking - it just happens whenever/wherever.

It makes sense for chickens to poop in their sleep; since they roost (our domestic chicken ancestors would be on a tree's branch) they wouldn't soil the area where they are resting.

Some mammals also walk, poop and keep walking - in fact, some of them will walk and poop at the same time! Goats come to mind, but also horses and cows.

Also, goats poop in their sleeping area - if one comes across a place where (free ranging) goats have spent the night it is full of poo. Now, whether they are actually asleep when they poo, I can't tell you; the same goes for chickens.

In any case, chickens' nocturnal defecation is not a problem in the context of this thread, as it is a contained space that can be cleaned up regularly. From what OP asks, I gather it is the walking around and pooing around the house that is the problem.

And if someone has THAT much patience to try to potty train a chicken - they have way more time than the majority of people to invest in such an endeavor.

This is an entirely different matter! In any case, the majority of people would not think that chickens are trainable, for toilet or tricks, let alone contemplate training one.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

You can potty train a chicken there are vidioes on YouTube.

 

[Kessel23]

So, has anyone here actually potty trained their chicken before?

 

[Acre4Me]

You can potty train a chicken there are vidioes on YouTube.

And if someone has THAT much patience to try to potty train a chicken - they have way more time than the majority of people to invest in such an endeavor.

Yup. Whether it can be done or not, still leaves me with the feeling that the time required is not in the grasp of most folks. For me, it is not something that grasps my interest either!

 

[Acre4Me]

"Elimination Communication"

AKA: training the parent. Still, a 4 month old can't really be trained. Not sure how many 4 month olds you've been around, nor changed the diaper of, but elimination kinda just happens....quick-like, and in their sleep. Of course, the parent could maybe be trained to try to coordinate the elimination to occur in the toilet based on facial expressions or body language, but it's the parent or caregiver that is trained. Also, some of those places mentioned in your post are places known to be where kids just eliminate wherever, rather than get them to a toilet.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Yup. Whether it can be done or not, still leaves me with the feeling that the time required is not in the grasp of most folks. For me, it is not something that grasps my interest either!

I totally agree! Who has time for that?

 

[TeenageRooster's Dad]

HELL NO!

I have a huge Brahma who poops every time she starts running... can't fix that

 

[Stiletto]

AKA: training the parent. Still, a 4 month old can't really be trained. Not sure how many 4 month olds you've been around, nor changed the diaper of, but elimination kinda just happens....quick-like, and in their sleep. Of course, the parent could maybe be trained to try to coordinate the elimination to occur in the toilet based on facial expressions or body language, but it's the parent or caregiver that is trained. Also, some of those places mentioned in your post are places known to be where kids just eliminate wherever, rather than get them to a toilet.

From what you write, you've clearly not read up on this and are not aware of the practices of people in the many other countries either.

I get that you don't believe/understand this is possible and that's fine.

I'm just grateful that from your derisive comment I was able to take and learn about something that I had absolutely no idea existed!

 

[Acre4Me]

From what you write, you've clearly not read up on this and are not aware of the practices of people in the many other countries either.

I get that you don't believe/understand this is possible and that's fine.

I'm just grateful that from your derisive comment I was able to take and learn about something that I had absolutely no idea existed!

Derisive comment?? Lol.

I’m glad you’re grateful. And, you’re welcome.

 

[SarahGfa]

Yes you can potty-train a chicken! Broody hens hold their poop until they get off the nest to poop once a day so chickens have very good bowel control when they want to.

My experience: Crate Training a chicken