Pullets eating poop??- any advice?

[tickens33]

Our pullets (and one possible roo) are slightly over 2 months old at this point and have been in their coop for about 2 weeks.

We have 3 silver laced wyandottes and 4 buff orpingtons. The orpingtons (not the dots at all as far as we can tell) have been eating poop, fighting over poop, and getting it all over their beaks and heads. They look dirty and gross, and I'm worried that it could harm them as well to be constantly eating feces.

We are still working on the run so they don't get much outside time yet, so maybe they are just bored or crowded. However, their coop has almost 3x the recommended amount of space for their size, there's bars for them to hop on, and we throw big clumps of dirt in there for them to peck and scratch, and bowls of wood ash to dust bathe. From what's been recommended to us, it seems like adequate enrichment.

Additionally, they were brooded 100% indoors in a city apartment in a much smaller space, and they didn't do this back then. We thought that a couple weeks in the coop while we built the run would be a good transition period from being fully indoors to free outdoor access.

At a loss for what to do. Any help would be much appreciated.

Edit to add that they are on 18% protein starter/grower organic feed from tractor supply so I dont think they're doing it due to lack of nutrients...

 

[Debbie292d]

Weird! You're doing everything one would suggest could be helpful. Maybe give them Nutra Drench or better yet, Poultry Cell water for a day or two and see if it helps.

We use horse bedding pellets in both the coop and the brooders which dries out the poop. Not sure it would dry it fast enough for them if they're consistently eating it fresh as it comes.

 

[aart]

However, their coop has almost 3x the recommended amount of space for their size

How big is that in feet by feet?
What are you using for bedding on the coop floor?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I assume you are talking about their own poop. On a farm with farm animals it is normal for them to scratch in poop to get bits of partially digested food. Some even do a rotation where they graze cattle for a while, move the cattle to a different pasture, and then bring in the chickens to spread the piles of poop as they search it for goodies. Those goodies could be partially digested bits but it can also be fly larva (maggots) which helps keep the fly population down. I grew up on a farm where free ranging chickens, cattle, and horses shares a pasture. The chickens were spreading the manure looking for goodies.

Chickens constant peck at ground where other chickens have pooped. They are not necessarily eating poop but they do consume small bits. That's how they share probiotics they have living in their digestive tracts and build flock immunities. I consider that a good thing.

I don't know why some appear to be eating it and some are not. That part sounds strange to me. I don't see anything wrong or dangerous about it. If it bothers you can you clean more often?

 

[tickens33]

How big is that in feet by feet?
What are you using for bedding on the coop floor?

It's 48 square feet not including nesting boxes, between 7 birds. So currently over 6.8 sq feet per bird and they're 10 weeks old. We use pine shavings.

Weird! You're doing everything one would suggest could be helpful. Maybe give them Nutra Drench or better yet, Poultry Cell water for a day or two and see if it helps.

We use horse bedding pellets in both the coop and the brooders which dries out the poop. Not sure it would dry it fast enough for them if they're consistently eating it fresh as it comes.

Thank you for both the reassurance and the suggestions. Starting today, they're also going to have free access to some outdoor space- a temporary mini-run about 20sq feet while we build their actual run. If having more space doesnt help the behavior, we could give the electrolytes a try.

I assume you are talking about their own poop. On a farm with farm animals it is normal for them to scratch in poop to get bits of partially digested food. Some even do a rotation where they graze cattle for a while, move the cattle to a different pasture, and then bring in the chickens to spread the piles of poop as they search it for goodies. Those goodies could be partially digested bits but it can also be fly larva (maggots) which helps keep the fly population down. I grew up on a farm where free ranging chickens, cattle, and horses shares a pasture. The chickens were spreading the manure looking for goodies.

Chickens constant peck at ground where other chickens have pooped. They are not necessarily eating poop but they do consume small bits. That's how they share probiotics they have living in their digestive tracts and build flock immunities. I consider that a good thing.

I don't know why some appear to be eating it and some are not. That part sounds strange to me. I don't see anything wrong or dangerous about it. If it bothers you can you clean more often?

I really appreciate you sharing your perspective. This is all brand new to me so it really helps to hear from people who grew up around this sort of thing. I do know of that method (I think where I've read about it it was referred to as rotational grazing). It really only bothers us cuz it's unsightly. If it's harmless or even potentially beneficial, then it seems like we shouldn't be doing much to intervene.