night time poops

[ontimeborzoi]

Well okay, so no one thinks the enormous volume of night time poop is, umm, unusual. Is this typical of all birds, or just chickens? I did buy a high end cat chow this morning and am going to try adding it to their diet, see if any changes in the poop thing happen. Will report back. : )

 

[elmo]

Quote:
Sorry, but that theory is bunk.

First of all, many of us here free range and do feed chickens meat based diets, and all of our chickens poop copiously all night, too. There goes the theory right there.

Secondly, have you ever taken a close look at a chicken's dropping? There's absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing, undigested in there. A chicken's digestive system is so efficient they have a pair of cecal glands with special bacteria that break down even the most fibrous stuff. That's where cecal poops come from.

Thirdly, have you noticed chickens go to bed frequently with full crops? That's so they can continue digesting food throughout the night. What goes in has to come out: hence those droppings throughout the night.

I can't speak for all birds, of course, because I only have personal experience with three kinds of parrots and one kind of doves. But these birds all poop during the night, too.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
Just be careful not to offer too much cat food. There may be an issue with that as discussed at the bottom of the treats page:


https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart

If you just want to increase protein, you could start a mealworm farm, a biopod with black soldier fly grubs, or just offer some mashed up hardboiled egg. Another thing to try is to switch from soybased chicken feed to a nonsoy one, like Countryside Organics. That's what I use; it contains fishmeal as a protein source.

 

[edjanuary39]

Quote:
I just read a thread today that taught me so much and now I can't find it for you! Resolution started it and its closed and there was 283 or 283 pages. But here's what I learned- yes its the feed. He (resolution) is an animal nutrion specialist. He developed a supplement for different stages and productions of chickens. They are not getting enough from scratch or pellets, and the excessive waste is their bodies not absorbing the nutrients. His supplement reduces the amount of maintenance food by 50%, it also reduces the disease if you feed them off the ground so that they are eating food next to their waste. He has pics of a table type feeding space. They also lay better eggs, and are healthier and therefore dont get sick as easily. Chickens need a variety of nutrients that they dont get fulfilled only foraging and from feed. So they turn into gluttons trying to get those nutrients, so if they are supplied everyday with the supplement and filler feed, they are happier! And better for us in eggs and meat. I wish I could find that thread! It was in the first 4 pages of this section that I found a link from someone else to his thread. Its here somewhere- maybe someone else knows. I am checking into his supplement- he has a lot of info and st8dies and the obvious knowledge to back him up. And you only use a small amount added to daily feed - sounds like it would last for a long while! But what I forgot to address- if the chickens are eating basically only what they need, their bodies absorb and use most of what they eat, so there is less for you to clean up, less for breeding disease and so I hope you find that thread! It answered so many questions I didn't know I had!

 

[ontimeborzoi]

Aha, it was Resolutions thread I was reading, and then it was closed. There is a new one started! Fascinating information. Lots to think about.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

My parrots have all held their poop overnight and then do a larger one in the morning. I don't pick them up first thing in the morning, until they do.

 

[edjanuary39]

Quote:
I know! But I was better informed by his posts than any other so far! Not to say I haven't learned alot, just all in one place! Do you remember where it was? I can't find it anymore and would love to reference it! Would have been smart and bookmarked it!

 

[Ariel301]

I think they're going to poop while roosting no matter what. Even if they aren't doing it at night, they will first thing in the morning before they jump down for the day.

Chickens are naturally omnivores. They'll eat just about anything. I try to feed birds a varied diet, with grain, vegetables, fruit, dairy, and meat. I did notice that when I was feeding Purina Flock Raiser, the coop smelled awful all the time. If you've ever smelled a brooder full of Cornish Crosses that hasn't been cleaned in a few days, that's what my coop smelled like, and I cleaned it at least once a week. When I stopped feeding the Flock Raiser, the smell went away. There wasn't really a change in amount of waste produced though.

 

[ontimeborzoi]

To edjanuary39..... "Scratch Grain- Why it's useful in flock management and nutrition by Resolution" ....right in this Feeding and Watering Your Flock section......
Check it out.

 

[Ole rooster]

Really strange how threads are closed at a moderators whem. I guess they get tired of reading it so it's junk to them.

I'll say this, when my chickens start craving raw meat and bones I'm getting rid of um right then. That means they could take my foot off if thet wanted. I have enough problem with dogs. I'm not gonna fight the chickens.

I don't mind the poop, but the runny stuff does concern me.