Chicken poop

[Do I look like a chicken]

Now if that subject line is not an attention grabber, I don't know what is. LOL!

But seriously, I was recently told that chickens gain some benefit from eating their own poop. Apparently they gain vitamin B-12 or something from this. Is this really true. I am not finding anything in my chicken literature on it. I was told not to do a thorough job when it comes to cleaning out the coop and to leave some of the skat just laying around as they will eat it when they need it.

I'm curious to know if anyone else has heard of this.

Thanks as always.
Mike

 

[mdbucks]

That sounds like a bunch of SKAT to me, but sillier sounding stuff has been true.

 

[Gonzo the Great]

I think that was a myth about dogs returning to their vomit....but hey, it's all good from both ends , huh?

 

[1acrefarm]

Ok think about it for a second. How can food that has been digested and the nutrients used have more than it started with?

 

[Do I look like a chicken]

Quote:
Okay, I don't think that it actually has more of anything, perhaps it, (what ever it is), is just made more accessible after having gone through the digestiive tract. And that is very possible, which is why I didn't just immediately write it off as a myth.

 

[Do I look like a chicken]

I am still researching this and if I find anything definitive, I will share it here and quote the source.

Thank you,
Mike

 

[mrspie]

There are some animals that require coprophagia. Rabbits, for example, have to "send it through twice" in order to be able to digest everything in their food. But I very much doubt chickens do.

 

[FarmerDenise]

I knew one of my critters had to eat their poo. I just forgot which one. Mrspie, thanks for reminding me that it is the bunny.
The dog just loves eating everyone else's, because it tastes good, I guess. We should have called her "hoover".