what is the scoop with broody poop?

[Jennyhaschicks]

OMG it's horrible. It is one of the worst poop smells I think I have ever smelled.
Why is it so big and smelly? Maybe because they don't go a lot?
I know... strange thoughts I am having. Dh was talking about it tonight and it got me wondering.

Any input?

 

[jessica117]

It is so incredibly nasty because while broody, a hen will usually only go once a day.

 

[Chickenaddict]

Yep it is beyond funky!!! Sometimes they don't even get off the nest everyday. When I have a broody I try to get her used to being taken off the nest and outside to do her thing then she goes back in the brooder that way it stays clean for when the chicks hatch, the hens seem to prefer this. I have a broody leghorn that hatched chicks almost 2 weeks ago and she still refuses to poop in the dog kennel I keep her and her chicks in so first thing every morning she needs to be let out. She will hold it until I do so. Over the winter I had a hen go broody on me and not being able to take her outside when it was -40 I had to get creative so i'd get her riled up and hang her over the toilet and she did her business that way.

 

[spook]

I was horrified once when I dewormed the flock, and that day she went to sitting on her nest...needless to say, I had always had broodie hens get off to eat, drink and poo once a day.
4 days later, I shoved her off the nest and left this gawd awful putrid smelling liquid undescribable mass of stink. I was very concerned! It was the wormer that caused this (learn from my grossness! LOL), but I'd assume that like when we begin to lose weight our body has to process that waste from the cells shrinking, broodies are the same where their fat cells are shrinking by the body using it as fuel.
But trust me, I've never seen anything that bad or that big coming out of a Bantam Cochin! LOL!!!!

(BTW- Good luck on your hatch from her)

 

[Jennyhaschicks]

Quote:
Gross!
Thanks. She is only on one egg. We let her have one because we don't want too many baby chicks. We have too many.