# Do Birds Fart? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 19, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-birds-fart/477910 "2008-12-19T15:14:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-birds-fart/477910/21 "2008-12-20T03:39:38Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > So, everyone but me knows what that second sentence means and is laughing at me? No, I have no idea what that means either. Great, now they’ll be laughing at me, too. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-birds-fart/477910/22 "2008-12-20T03:52:53Z")
If I knew, I’d share but I don’t so I’ll just join you two in the corner for the confused. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-birds-fart/477910/23 "2008-12-20T04:12:11Z")
> [@CC](#): > > … **Colibri** , being conspicuous by his absence… Astonishingly, there seems to be little peer-reviewed literature on the subject, so that the answer must remain somewhat speculative The site [www.fartingchickens.com](http://www.fartingchickens.com/dochicksfart.htm) asked this question regarding chickens of 22 professors, of which six replied (probably the ones who already had tenure). The answers ranged from no, through maybe, to yes. Birds definitely produce some intestinal gas in the course of digestion. In general, however, most respondents thought that actual farting by birds would not be typical because a bird’s rapid digestion and short colon would not allow gas to build up enough pressure to produce an audible fart. One respondent, though, did claim to have heard hens expelling gas. So it appears that although birds may occasionally fart, it’s pretty rare. The OP does not mention the species of birds in question. If they are canaries or parakeets, I would be extremely skeptical of your friends’ denials. Even if small bird did fart, I don’t think they would produce enough gas to be detectable at any distance. On the other hand, if you have pet Turkey Vultures or Emus, I suppose it could be a possibility. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-birds-fart/477910/24 "2008-12-20T04:29:40Z")
Slight hijack, but I once had a boy, semi straight faced, ask me at a zoo presentation wether or not fish fart. I told him probably - after the adults stopped laughing long enough to get a word in. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-birds-fart/477910/25 "2008-12-20T04:46:05Z")
> [@zoogirl](#): > > Slight hijack, but I once had a boy, semi straight faced, ask me at a zoo presentation wether or not fish fart. [The Master speaks.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2364/do-fish-fart-plus) ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-birds-fart/477910/26 "2008-12-20T11:25:15Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > The site [www.fartingchickens.com](http://www.fartingchickens.com/dochicksfart.htm) asked this question regarding chickens of 22 professors, of which six replied (probably the ones who already had tenure). hehehe ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-birds-fart/477910/27 "2008-12-20T11:40:13Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > The OP does not mention the species of birds in question. If they are canaries or parakeets, I would be extremely skeptical of your friends’ denials. Even if small bird did fart, I don’t think they would produce enough gas to be detectable at any distance. On the other hand, if you have pet Turkey Vultures or Emus, I suppose it could be a possibility. I was sorting thinking of birds in general, but since it’s parrot-type birds I have in my home on a personal level it’s the parrots I’m most “concerned” about gassing me. At present we have cockatiels and a conure, although in past we’ve also had lovebirds. I recall being sneezed on, coughed on, regurgitated on, but never farted on by a bird. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-birds-fart/477910/28 "2008-12-20T16:20:36Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I was sorting thinking of birds in general, but since it’s parrot-type birds I have in my home on a personal level it’s the parrots I’m most “concerned” about gassing me. At present we have cockatiels and a conure, although in past we’ve also had lovebirds. I recall being sneezed on, coughed on, regurgitated on, but never farted on by a bird. Those birds are still rather small to be filling a room with flatulence. Just how many humans were in the room? Are you sure there wasn’t a dog around? My dog could out-fart a cow and clear a room in no time. By the way, did you know that in the original 12 Days of Christmas it was actually supposed to be “Three Farting Hens” but they decided that wasn’t all that Christmassy? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-birds-fart/477910/29 "2008-12-20T16:24:36Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > Those birds are still rather small to be filling a room with flatulence. Just how many humans were in the room? Are you sure there wasn’t a dog around? My dog could out-fart a cow and clear a room in no time. The scenario in the OP is what is known as a “joke”. OBVIOUSLY the birds were not filling the room with gas, it had to be a human, but none of them would own up to it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-birds-fart/477910.md?page=1)