ODD CHICKEN BEHAVIOUR?

Dear Prof McCrindle,

Why does my male Maltese keep marking around the house, even though he has been fixed? Is there anything I can do about this? Kind regards, Ursula

Dear Ursula,

Urinating in the house is usually territorial behaviour. While this instinct decreases in neutered dogs, it can recur, particularly if the dog is feeling anxious.

To stop the behaviour, you need to remove the smell of urine from your furniture and carpets. Sponge the area with a solution of bicarbonate of soda (one tablespoon in 250ml of water) to neutralise the stains. Rinse and dry, then spray the area with a repellent, such as a small amount of citronella oil. Kind regards, Prof Cheryl McCrindle

Dear Prof McCrindle,

What could be the reason that my chickens have suddenly started consuming their own faeces? Is this normal behaviour? Kind regards, Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,

A normal chicken dropping comprises a dark brown or black core, surrounded by a more liquid white portion. The solid dark core consists of digested food, while the white part is uric acid. A bird, like other animals, has a variety of micro-organisms (microbiota) living in its digestive tract. The ratio of organism types in the microbiota changes from time to time to digest different foods. Prebiotics and probiotics are added to intensive broiler and layer rations to manage the microbiota at different stages of production. However, rations for backyard fowls tend to be less specialised.

A young chick, just after hatching, will actively search for fresh faeces, peck out the dark part and swallow it. This is probably to start up the cultures of microflora in its own gut to help digest the ration it is feeding on. Even an adult will peck at its own and other birds’ faeces, especially if they contain undigested seeds or maize kernels. The undigested matter in the faeces may be the result of a change of diet; for instance, when pullets start laying, the farmer will change from a rearing diet to a higher-protein layer ration. Microbiota needed to digest the new diet will have to multiply in the gut. The second time around, after the chicken has eaten the half-digested food in the faeces, there should be a high enough concentration of microbiota to finish the digestive process and allow for uptake of the nutrients from its gut.

Another reason for an increase in coprophagy (feeding on faeces) is an unbalanced ration. This can result from a shortage of dietary minerals, such as calcium, or protein, which can also lead to feather pecking and cannibalism. Diets very high in energy and low in fibre, or lacking in other nutrients (particularly methionine), will also lead to coprophagy and feather-pecking. A shortage of feeders in an intensive production system (whether broilers or immature layers) is yet another contributor to increased coprophagy. Kind regards, Prof Cheryl McCrindle Cheryl McCrindle is an emeritus full professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Pretoria, and has extensive experience in animal health. Email her at farmersweekly@caxton.co.za. Subject line: Ask our vet.