"Sacha" wrote in message
On 2009-07-16 13:01:23 +0100, "FarmI" ask@itshall be given said:

"George.com" wrote in message

My dogs also enjoy a tasty bit of horse dung.

Dogs really can be such nasty little snots at times.

The other day, I went to visit my neighbour. I give her eggs, she gives
me
horse poop and we both think we get the best part of the deal.

One of her tenants who rented one of the houses on her farm died and the
tenant's Corgi ended up being adopted by my neighbour.

The Corgi was lying on the Persian rug under an old church pew in the
entry
hall and chewing something with real relish. When we investigated it was
a
half moon shaped thing which turned out to be a paring from the horse's
hoof
from when the farrier had shod the horses that morning.

I usually have a cast iron stomach but for some reason seeing the Corgi
doing this really turned my stomach.

Oh but this is really well known. When I had a horse I used to take him
off to the farrier every so often and there were always a few dogs hanging
about in a hopeful sort of way. The farrier flung the parings out the
door and the dogs fell on them as if starving! What it is about dogs
eating poo I have no idea but one of mine used to eat fox poo. I think a
dog breeder once suggested to me that it was something to do with
obtaining iron but I have no idea if this is true.

Our dogs never used to do it - now you've got me wondering why. Dead
kangaroos or anything else dead, then yes, but not hoof parings. And of
course when we neuter the male calves, the way to check the number of males
is to count the stones thrown onto the grass, so of course the dogs have to
be locked up or otherwise the count is thrown out.

I wonder if there is iron in droppings. Interesting thought that. I guess
dog's sense of smell must detect soemthing they want/need for their system.