All our hens (free ranging Japanese Bantams) do a giant, stinky poop two days after their first chick hatches. It's rare for many more to hatch after two days but sometimes the hen will continue to sit on the eggs and the next day or even two or three days later another chick appears. Regardless of whether they manage to get all chicks out on day one or string it out over a week, they all do a massive poop on the second day. We've got two theories 1. We've noticed that quite often the new chicks will eat some, but not all, of the poop. Is this some way of ensuring that the chicks will have something (yuk!) to eat while the hen waits for more to hatch. 2. Although they do come off the eggs every day, before any chicks appear, perhaps they don't poop much because they seem to shut their bodies down while incubating, does their digestive systems shut down and this giant poop signals the start of normal life for the hen again as she should be moving about normally looking for food for herself and the chicks? I've searched on the internet and can't find any decent links other than people posting giant poop pictures (not all of them from chickens !) Does anyone know the real reason or purpose to the monster poops?
everyday while incubating, when they get off the nest to eat and drink, the should have a giant poop. maybe you miss those events when they occur. the more feed they get the smellier
It's the 2nd one. Their bodies simply don't act normally while they're broody, so they kind of stock-pile poop instead of pooping every 10 minutes like they usually do. I'm sure it's a huge (no pun intended) relief to them when it happens...lol.
OMG!! I'm so glad you posted this!! I have found two such piles of poop and wondered what the heck was going on. My wife said it looks like a dog got in the run. Glad to know it was my brooding hen.
