Small white grains in poop?

[TheWolfRaven]

What are they? Are they harmful? What can I do to prevent them?
I found them whilst cleaning out chicken poop today.
All chickens are fine and all still laying eggs.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Looks like sand, but could be eggs of some kind, maybe? I dunno...

@casportpony is the poo expert, lol... can you lend any of your expertise, Kathy, please?

 

[TheWolfRaven]

They're all very even, rectangular and white. Like miniture grains of rice

 

[Ravynscroft]

Did you try squishing any of them? See if they were hard granules or if they pop?

 

[TheWolfRaven]

No... I threw them out after I snapped the picture.

 

[Ravynscroft]

I'd check that tomorrow if I were you... might tell you whether it's eggs of something or not...

 

[Thechickymama]

Did you ever figure out what this is? I had 1 girl with this in her poop about 3 days ago. I thought maybe oyster shell? Now I have 3 piles with it in them. I checked all girls and 2 have mites. I will treat right away. Could this be the cause?

 

[theartsypaul]

They're all very even, rectangular and white. Like miniture grains of rice

I am in the process of dealing with tapeworms and everything I read says "looks like grains of rice..." so I would treat for tapeworms. Or a least google tapeworms and chickens and see if you see anything familiar.

 

[theartsypaul]

Tapeworms

 

[TheWolfRaven]

*update
The day after I found this I found nothing like it ever again.
I had them in the laundry for a while as the coop had been flooded in the rain- all poop was fine, save one that was runny.

Never did figure it out- no mites, and no more signs that it was worms.

Might have been maggots or maggot eggs, but the coop has had several cleanings and airings since.