For Me To Poop On

Hello all! Feels good to be back in the game of blogging about chickens. I've missed all the excitement! So today's topic deals with what I've discovered is an unfortunate side issue with owning backyard chickens: POOPING. More specifically I'm referring to their tendency to poop on things they should not. I'm not begrudging them their right to poop. That would be preposterous. As the Taro Gomi book states, "Everybody poops" and that goes for chickens too. It is just that they poop on....well...anything they can stand on top of. Let's observe.

 

We had been keeping the chickens food in a wooden box on our side porch. One day recently I came home from work to find that they had camped out near their food for what appeared to be ALL DAY LONG. They pooped on everything. It was horrible. I'm going to show you the worst one now. Prepare yourself. 

Gah! This is a picture of the concrete right outside our patio door that day. The five hens did that in an 8 hour span. The poop went on for what seemed like miles, but in reality was only about six feet. But still. Ew. It was really concentrated right by the door as if they wanted to get in and poop on everything in there, too. 

So tonight I went outside to check on them and I found them chilling on the picnic table, like a school yard gang of fluffy punks. They had an insolent air about them. I can't explain it. You have to be tuned into chicken vibes. 

As I got closer I could see that they were pretty at ease, having claimed the picnic table as their own. And then I saw just how far they had taken this marking territory thing. Der POOP AGAIN! 

 Frickity Frick! I have come to the conclusion that if they can manage to flap atop something, anything, they will poop on it shortly thereafter. They feel superior having accomplished a quasi flight. I guess maybe they get excited after? But really it's probably just because chickens poop ALL the time. My friend Heidi tried to warn me about this before I got my chicks, but did I listen? NO. Well I did but at the time I was thinking I could handle the poop (not literally) of five fat hens. 

 Check out Caterpillar. She was all like "What are you looking at? I got up here using my chicken wings and then I did this...

I rule." 

Can't argue with that I guess. 

After they were done using our picnic table as a chicken dump yard they decided to move on to fresher pooping pastures. The good news is that I'm LEARNING from these experiences. I've learned two things so far:

1. Store chicken food indoors where they can't smell it. They're like blood hounds with beaks and scary raptor claws. 

2. They like to be up high on things. Don't let them fly up on your head or shoulders because you will shortly thereafter be pooped on. 

And so it goes. Are you tired of looking at chicken poop yet? I am. I'm going to go look at a glass of wine now, and then I'm going to drink it. Cheers, Chickadees! 

The Salmonella Fear Factor

Good morrow to you all! That's how they used to say good morning in old timey times. So the topic of this post shall be part chicken anatomy and part dispelling myths about fresh eggs and salmonella. My friend Robin sent me a text last night that read, "Do chickens only have one hole for things to come out?" And a bit later she asked, "Do they come out a poop hole or a mommy hole?" *sigh* Oh, Robin. Then it occurred to me that I didn't know the answer to this question. I guess Robin and her kickball buddies were discussing salmonella and how eggs, if they come out the same chute as the poo, could be contaminated with salmonella. So let's discuss. 

Meet icky Mr. Salmonella. Ew, right? So the question is does the egg come out the same "exit" as the poo. And the answer is YES. The egg is deposited through the VENT. The Vent is located at the back end of the chicken, just under the tail. , it is a small opening in the form of a horizontal slit, about an inch wide. It is surrounded by a ribbed rim, with skin and feathers on the outside. 

Chickens, as well as other birds, have a common opening for reproduction, and for the evacuation of stools/urine mixture.They do not have a bladder because their urine is not a fluid. It is a white paste, called urates.. The intestine, ureters and oviduct come together into a common chamber called the cloaca. This is a rather dirty place, but the egg is always clean and almost sterile when laid unless it is laid on top of or in fecal matter in the nest.

The reason the egg is always clean coming out is because the intestine and inner part of the cloaca are kept shut by the emerging egg, and their contents cannot leave when the hen strains to deliver the egg. Therefore, eggs are always clean as they are laid. However, sometimes a hen, stomping around the nest with dirty feet, will get the egg dirty anyway.

Sorry about the super un-awesome picture, but it is very good as far as showing how it all works. And there is another reason eggs are safe from salmonella upon exiting the vent, one that protects from salmonella even if the hen steps on the egg with poopy feet. Eggs are laid with what is called a "bloom" which naturally protects it. This is the coating on the egg shall that seals its pores. Also known as the cuticle, it helps to prevent bacteria from getting inside the shell and reduces moisture loss from the egg keeping it fresh longer. Eggs should be rinsed right before use, but not washed. Doing so would remove the natural protective "bloom" barrier. 

So there you have it. One vent does it all. It's a clean process and the egg is naturally protected from any germs. Neat! And it should be kept in mind that the vast majority of organic backyard chickens don't have salmonella. It's more common in mass producing chicken farms. And you can get salmonella from a lot of things, including unwashed vegetables!

That's my daughter Evelyn in the picture above. She's holding Birdsbun and is surrounded by the curious neighbor kids. They thought the chickens were so cool and chased them around all day (poor chickens). Evelyn was the only one brave enough to actually hold one, though they all petted Birdsbun. And more importantly, they not one of them came down with salmonella poisoning! I did ask them to wash their hands afterward but I have my  doubts about whether or not those boys actually listened to me. Boys never listen (to me).

Here are some links to more info on fresh egg sanitation:

http://www.suburbanchicken.org/eggs.htm

http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2011/10/eggs-to-wash-or-not-to-wash.html

http://smallfarm.about.com/od/farmanimals/a/How-To-Clean-Eggs.htm

Have a SUPER day! 

The Cluckster