[Hania41806]

I keep finding this stuff in my chicken coop. I think it’s coming from the birds. It is definitely not leaves.

 

[robin416]

Have you examined it? It looks like broken leaf. Makes me think it's something that came in with the hay you're using.

 

[Lillith]

It could be paper. It would help if you told us a bit more about it.

 

[Hania41806]

It is definitely not a leaf or paper. I’m really not sure how to describe it.

It is very thin and dry but it doesn’t break right away when I bend it.

The side that’s showing is the more vibrant side, the other side is lighter and duller.

this is very confusing.

 

[Lillith]

Tin or aluminum can, rusted? Lots of haying in ditches is done around here, and it's not unusual to find deteriorating pieces of beer cans or tin cans thrown out windows in hay bales or even discarded pieces of farm equipment. They range from still quite hard to flaky and crumbling with rust. Where do you purchase your bedding? If it's from a local farmer or something, it might simply be road trash and debris.

 

[robin416]

I was also thinking deteriorating cardboard. It's not coming from the chickens. If it were then you have some aliens.

 

[Hania41806]

Not tin can or aluminum. The bedding is just grass raked up in early summer from my lawn. The thing is, more and more of this stuff shows up and it’s always in the nests.

 

[robin416]

Save some and take it to the biology class to have a looksee under a microscope.

When do you go back?

 

[Hania41806]

August 14th, so just under 2 weeks. I’m on pretty good terms with my bio teacher so I think he’ll let me take a look through his microscopes.

 

[robin416]

Great. Make sure you let us know what it looks like.

Darn, I thought it was only the South that went back to school so early. Up North it's after Labor Day.

 

[dawg53]

I've seen dried runny poop like that in my pens when it's very hot temps. I havnt seen it in hay or straw though.

School down here starts the first week in August, day before yesterday for some.

 

[robin416]

Oh lord, I hope she hasn't handled it too much if you're right, dawg.