Some Questions Answered

I was asked...how often chickens poo, and what I do about the situation. Well, depends on the situation.

Its what you don't see in the picture that counts. ;)

The video of Speckles perching on that chair...for example. The thing you don't see is the paper towels I have laid across the seat cushion of the chair, to catch any little poos.

If Bonnie and Clyde are just coming in from their enclosure they are coming in to eat supper...so there won't be any poo, til they have eaten. About twenty minutes after they eat you can expect to start seeing poo. I hold them for about fifteen minutes. ;) Then they go into the carrier for the night.

There is an interesting fact I didnt know about that I just read in last months poultry magazine I subscribe to.

Branching off between the small and large intestine are two blind pouches, called the ceca (one is a cecum), having no known function. the ceca empty their contents two or three times a day, producing pasty droppings that often smell worse than regular droppings. This is a normal function. So....

other than those couple of messy poos, which hopefully I have avoided through the day...one usually being first poo of the morning...I will only have little round tiny balls to pick up with tissue and spray Lysol there in that spot. No mess when its regular poo.

If I am going to be holding anyone for any length of time, I have towels for that to lay over my shirt first.

Sometimes, someone steps in their messy poo. So...when they do come in, before they set foot in the house, they get their feet washed with an antibacterial soap. They are used to this and dont usually struggle.

The trick is to have them out in short intervals, and before suppertime. This reduces the chance of poo.

There is a site that makes chicken and duck diapers...I kid you not. I made Phoenix one. He was having none of it. He fell over sideways like he was dying! What a brat! He pulled and pulled at that pouch on his butt that catches poo balls...so...I gave in, and we manage to keep things sanitary without the chicken diaper.

Its not as easy as you see in the pictures and in the videos. Maintenance is a must. When Phoenix does his two or three messy poos while in that cage, WE KNOW IT IMMEDIATELY! I get toilet paper and get it out right away, and just flush it.

People are always commenting on my house and how it doesnt smell like I own a single animal. Hollie can attest to this, as she has been here when they came to pick up some chicks one time.

Its because I have a VERY sensitive nose. I can't stand yucky odors. That is one reason, quite frankly, I am glad we are done with cats now. The litter box was a real sore point with me.

So, there is more information than you ever wanted to know...about chicken poo. ;)

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Now, about being a poultry judge myself. No way, I couldnt do it. I am not serious enough to be a judge. I was telling Beth, (she is the head of the Chattahoochee Valley Poultry Association, her and her husband Jerry) some people are really hard core serious, and I am just not going to get like that. I am there to see birds, learn a little, and have a LOT of fun. If I dont win, thats okay. I dont mind. When something like this stops being fun, I am most likely going to lose interest, and I sure dont want that. She agreed that some people get too be too much...bugging the judges to death. So no, I will never qualify to be a judge. For one thing you have to get a lot of wins under your belt, and I will never have that. I do not get into the genetics and all that of birds...I just like what I see, so I get some of that breed.

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As for folks wanting to come back reincarnated as my birds, be careful what you wish for! This was the first thing that crossed my mind when Speckles was so tame. I told you, there is something about him, something almost human in a way...so is that what Speckles is? A human come back as one of my roos? I dont know, we may never know. I was raised Baptist, but hey, I have an open mind. ;)

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So far I have these names as suggestions on the unnamed roo.

Beau

Randy

Colonel

Henry

Leroy

So...lets have a vote to decide his name, it will be fun!

 

I am giving this poll til Friday morning...then if there is a tie...I will break the tie with my vote. Okay, everybody VOTE!!! Thankyou for voting! :)

Heyyy Dwain...I just wanted to say hey to you...I know you are a busy man these days working hard...just wanted you to know I miss talking to you! (((HUGS)))