Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[l_ouise]

Hello.

 

I was just wondering if anyone noticed a change in their dogs health since getting chickens or if there is anything documented besides the stale grain thing?

 

My dog has been having loose stools and poo'in his bed most nights since we got them. He is toilet trained, it is like he can't hold the loose stools all night poor thing.

 

He can get right upto the Eglu run and he is a bit of a hoover and will suck up the odd bit of chicken poo, grain, bedding and pellets that he can reach with his tongue - nothing stale though, the birds get to it before he does and there isn't anything on the ground from the day before.

 

I have wormed him, which is the other thing i did that might be causing the poo but it seems to be going on for too long.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks

[Verity F]

It might be chicken poo giving him an upset stomach...

 

I haven't had a dog with my chickens, however in a "previous life" I've had a parrot and a mini dachshund who has a particular penchant for parrot poo (they're both with my parents in sunny South Africa now). The pooch munched some down during a cage cleaning session, and never again! He became a pint-size biological weapon of mass destruction for days! Not just gas (which was beyond deadly) but the squitters too, and stomach rumbles so loud I couldn't believe they came from him - poor mite.

 

My parrot's diet is not too dissimilar to the chooks - feed pellets and the occasional fruit/veggie treat. I know dogs seem to have a fairly cast-iron digestive system, and can happily eat some fairly revolting things - but holy moly! Nothing has ever compared to that!!

[Chucky Mama]

It may well be the chicken food that he is eating rather than the poo. Our dog was sneaking off and eating a lot of pellets and corn (tell tale signs in her poo). She was also getting rather fat! We now make sure that it is more difficult for her to get at the food (treadle and hanging feeders. It does sound though if your dog is still having trouble handing on that it may need some medication to help to settle things down.

[Luvachicken]

Our dog would eat any chicken poo she could find that I didn't sweep up. It made her tummy gurgle and she made very unpleasant smells Now the chickens have a space of their own and she can't get to the poo although I'm sure she would like to.

Hope your dog soon feels better xx

[chelsea]

My dog eats any kind of poo for a past time (chicken, rabbit, her own ) and she shows no sign of ill health and has perfect stools.