Potty Training Chickens

[silkiechicken]

Now that would be an idea. Get chickens to go where you want them to go play. Mine are silly birds some times... They have acres to roam and what do they do? They go to the front porch area and all the chickens walk themselves into a 4x8 grower pen and stand there for hours on end! Oh well bettter there... there previous area was the front door step!

 

[RoyalHillsLLC]

Mine roam but also love the porches! I just let it dry and then kick it off!

 

[FarmerDenise]

There is something here though. !!!
I have noticed over the years that some chickens are selective as to where they poop.
My broody hens usually do not poop in the nest, nor did the hens poop in the nest or cage when the chicks hatched. I had to let them out, before they would "lay a humongus (sp)" poo as soon as they were in the yard.
I have also had a hen in confinement for health reasons, who would not poop in the box. I had to check on her by putting her upside down on my lap (which I did) and as soon as I set her down on the floor, she would poop; BIG!!!!. She absolutely would not poop in "her nest"
We also had an americana who attached herself to our dog, she very rarely pooped in the dog's bed. Usually she sat on a specific spot on the dogbed, where her poop piled up outside the bed.

Let's prove "them" wrong on this one too!! I think chickens do have control over their bowel movements. It is just a matter of training. They say you can train a parakeet, I think my chicken is smarter than a parakeet.

Chickens do make good pets!!! and funny too.

D

 

[pharr389]

chickens is gonna poop, just wear shoes and watch where you sit...........
i'm sorry, couldn't resist

 

[HowdyPete]

OK Sharona and Farmer Denise,

I'm a rookie with chickens, but they are smarter than I expected them to be. The sprinkler at night while they are cooped-up, training them or arranging things to have them favor a certain area may work. I need to think like a chicken. Thanks for all the ideas, and yes, I am making compost.

HowdyPete

 

[Gracefulspice]

I have to agree with FarmerDenise. My hens do not poop in the coop during the day. However they used to. Every morning I go out with my plastic grocery bag and garden glove and pick up the coop from the night. I let them out in the run and go to work. I come home and no poop in the coop. They only poop in there at night while they are locked up and when it's a rainy day and they don't want to get wet. I have even witnessed them leave the coop, do the poop and go back in. I guess with me cleaning the coop every morning they like the idea of it being clean. I did used to go out 3 to 4 x's a day to pick up, but after about 2 months it slacked off to once a day. Now if I can only get them to go back to the run to poop while they are free ranging.

 

[silkiechicken]

WOW I need some of those birds. Then I'd train them not to poop on the cement walkways and porch... I almost think they do it because they know we don't like it!

 

[RoyalHillsLLC]

Wow. Some of y'all give those birds a lot of credit. I am not so kind to these animals that poop in their roost/nests every night and sleep in it all night. These same birds that will poop in their feed if we don't make every attempt to make sure they can't perch on or near their feeder.
These same birds poop on my porches, the steps, just anywhere they feel the need, they let fly. I still enjoy them, but I'm sorry, they are just dumb animals.
I accept them for what they are, don't try to make them into anything else. I choose to accept their flaws as what they are, just animalisitic traits from animals acting out of instinct, not intelligence. Their eggs taste good too!

 

[GoodEgg]

You know, I had forgotten about it, but re-reading this thread again reminded me of something.

The first week I had several chicks in a "hospital" cage for various reasons. Sometimes I had to separate them, and one was particularly "needy" with being alone, so what I ended up doing was providing 2 small stuffed animals.

After a week of perching on them, climbing on them, hiding under them, and spending most of their time on these animals, one had a little smear of poo (which might have come from a foot or might have been pooped there) and the other had none at all.

They sure pooped anywhere and everywhere else in there, including in the food and water, and alternate sleeping places.

But ... I had EXPECTED the toys to be covered in poo after a short while, but after a full week, they were still almost perfectly clean.

So I dunno ... maybe they exercised some control. In the meantime of course, they have pooped all over the feeders regularly if they could get on them, pooped on me, and pooped everywhere.

What I HAVE started noticing the past 2 days are huge poos right outside the coop door. Who knows, maybe some of them are purposely waiting until I let them out? If so, I can tell you not all of them are. I still find poo on the inside and on the roosts. Sure would be nice if they DID choose to be clean about it, but I guess I'm not gonna hold my breath.

I did find it interesting though, that they didn't soil the toys they used for "company" as sick babies.

trish