# Ducks eating rabbit poop!



## emptycupranch (Jul 13, 2008)

I know, strange question but the situation is that I have free roaming muscovy ducks and have noticed that a few of them hang out under the rabbit cages and are happily eating the rabbit poop. Should I be concerned about it or do the 'duckies know best'?


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

Wont hurt them. There is partially digested nutrition left in the poo.

Consider them helpers in poo cleaning. 
They're recycling!!!!:rock:

My ducks and chickens do the same thing when I dump the wheel barrel after cleaning the rabbitry.


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## emptycupranch (Jul 13, 2008)

Hi RiverPines, thanks for your post. I am thinking the same thing - just wanted to double check that all was ok! Seems like all of my critters like the rabbit smarties; dogs, ducks, chickens...


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## Ceres Hil (Aug 13, 2008)

Chickens love ours--perhaps I few ducks will have a go...


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

They are getting B vitamins that are manufactured in the rabbits' intestines.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

My chickens love picking apart fresh-from-the-goat poo.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

My ducks eat rabbit poop too. Grosses me out (we eat those ducks!).


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## Home Harvest (Oct 10, 2006)

Just to add to the comments, my ducks, chickes, and dog all eat rabbit poop.

To be honest, the chickens and ducks are probably also eating worms and other bugs in the litter under the hutches. I don't look that closely to see what they are eating.

Danaus29, what can I say? Circle of life my friend. Suppose your ducks didn't eat the poop, but they ate the worms that ate the poop? At some level we are all made of the same stuff, and in nature nothing is wasted, thank God! Many people raise worms in manure pits, then use the worms as free protein for the chickens. You also probably put the manure on the plants that you will eventually eat from. See? It's all good. Enjoy, life is too short.


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## ihedrick (May 15, 2005)

Ducks will eat styrofoam too. Not sure what the attraction is, but vet says it won't hurt them.


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## emptycupranch (Jul 13, 2008)

Oh! My chickens get into any styrofoam they can find... I was so worried it would hurt them. The other thing that really makes me wonder is a few of my chickens eat my rhubarb leaves. I know rhubarb is toxic, and thought they would know better? I have not seen any negative effects yet so they must not be eating enough to poison themselves.

I have my chicken run extended to be underneath the rabbit cages as they do such a good job of scratching and keeping the litter down and cleaning up any spilled hay/grain etc. The ducks have access as well, and they were picking out all the fresh droppings.

It is actually good to know that the hay/grain/pellets that the rabbits eat are being used a couple times over - now that is value *grin*


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## Wolf Flower (Dec 21, 2005)

The poultry love goat, horse, and dog poo... especially if the dogs have gotten into chicken feed.

The dogs love cat poo. Gross, but hey... they seem to enjoy cleaning the litterbox, and I don't, so... do the math.  I just don't let them kiss me afterward.

One time my goat got into something that gave her scours for a day or so. The dogs followed her around licking her rear end like it was soft-serve.


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