Bugs in Feces - and what to do when you get a new puppy in a yard full

[MirPanda]

Hey guys - i have noticed some odd bugs.
I was looking at the ground behind my recently moved tractor where the poop had been lying from their roosting. The poop was textured a bit like a fire ant mound: loose and grainy. I poked at it, think it it might BE fire ants, but instead there were small black insects. Some were ladybug sized black beetles, but most were sort of termite looking black shiny bugs. Crawling all about and tilling up the poo. The chickens investigated, but stopped. They didn't want to eat either the bugs, or their poop that the bugs were in.

Does anyone know what these bugs are? Did they come from the chickens or from the environment. Are they potentially harmful to either the chickens or my new puppy?

To elaborate on the puppy - my 10 year old dog would eat chicken poo all the time: gross but without harm (seemingly, she did pass away of something unknown, but she was old with heart problems). I don't want to bring a puppy to our yard jsut to infect it with nasties from teh chickens. Would i be best to fence the chickens into a smaller area of yard - or should i just be careful to worm them often with cider vinegar and garlic?

thanks,
Miranda

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

The bugs (black beetles) are there eating the feces. They work to eliminate the poo of the world. There is a powder that you can put on the droppings that make them taste bitter to dogs. Almost all dogs will taste, lick, or eat poo at some point in their lives. Just make sure you worm the puppy regularly, as well as your chickens.

 

[MirPanda]

Any thoughts on the slimy little termite bugs? They seemed to be in cahoots with the beetles - hopefully just benign poo eaters. Always makes me nervous, though when the girls WON'T eat a bug - makes me think 'nasty'.