Potty Train

[GamingGopher]

Is it possible to train my chickens to poo in my sand pit? If so is there any tips to do this? MANY THANKS

 

[SueT]

Chickens are not one of the animals that consciously choose where to poop. They have no need to do that. Animals that do have awareness of it can be trained to poop or not poop in certain areas because you work with that instinct. In chickens, the instinct isn't there to work with.

 

[GamingGopher]

Chickens are not one of the animals that consciously choose where to poop. They have no need to do that. Animals that do have awareness of it can be trained to poop or not poop in certain areas because you work with that instinct. In chickens, the instinct isn't there to work with.

Ok thanks Is there an easy way to clean up their poop without taking so long that they have pooped again?
Thanks

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Ok thanks Is there an easy way to clean up their poop without taking so long that they have pooped again?
Thanks

Paper towel. Takes 30 seconds

 

[Shabby Chic-Hens]

You can also get chicken diapers. Supposedly Covid masks work well

 

[GamingGopher]

With the diapers, would they make a mess of their butts?

 

[FrostRanger]

It's complicated and some people have had success getting certain birds to poop in certain places, but imma have to say in general, no. As @SueT said, chickens don't really care where they poop and they'll go wherever and whenever the urge strikes them. Plus chickens don't really have much of a desire to please you. That not to say they can't be trained period, but they'll only listen to you if it suits them, and chickens can be really stubborn. While chickens are by no means dumb or stupid, they are still on the lower end of intelligence as far as birds go and they do have their own logic that while not flawed, is different from human logic.

I keep my birds outside and use deep litter method so unless I step in a fresh one that didn't get mixed with the mulch yet I rarely have to deal with poop cleanup. However, when I brood chicks inside, I manage it by keeping them in their brooder and cleaning their brooder plate off with a mixture of ms. Meyer's clean day and water and paper towels. If they poop anywhere else while outside the brooder I clean it with that as well. I only keep chicks inside for about a month so this system works well for me. If you're keeping a chicken inside as a house pet long term (which I don't recommend for both your sake and the bird's sake) I'd use chicken diapers

 

[nuthatched]

Confine your birds if you don't want them pooping everywhere.