Two sweet silkies, but eating their own poop.yuck

[red rosecomb]

i recently saved two white non bearded silkie chicks from a friend of mine who breeds silkies, who was going to cull them for their bad habit of eating thier own poop. i thought that they were just missing something in their diet so i started giving them vitamin supplements,fresh veggies, fresh fruit, store bought earthworms and a few calcium supplements. i tried everything in my power to stop them from eating their own poop by collecting the poop regularly but they even started eating thier own freshly pooped poop. i am wondering if this is what silkies do and if it is dangerous to their health? and if it is what other things can i do to stop them from eating their own poop?

please help I'm stressing here!

 

[dixie chicken]

Hmmm. I have never seen or heard of this behavior before so don't know how much help I can be. But, I do have a lot of silkies and they do not eat their own poop. Makes me think that there is a mineral or trace element deficiency. Sounds like you have tried everything. Do they have access to dirt, clay type soil or grit?

 

[red rosecomb]

They have access to grit but they dont seem to be eating it. this is strange because i have never had a chicken that didnt eat grit

 

[red rosecomb]

if i decide to let these two silkies brood a few chicks, would this poop eating trait pass onto the chicks because these chickens keep going broody on the fertile silkie eggs i got from their previous owner. i wouldnt want to cull these chickens and their chicks because of poop eating.

 

[Itz_Kitkat]

I know this is a really old thread but did they grow out of it I have four silkies doing the same thing I’m worried that they will get sick from it