How to play
Chicken poop bingo rules
The rules fit on a bar napkin: buy a numbered square, a chicken walks the board, and whoever holds the square where it first goes wins. The details are where games differ, so here are the standard rules, the house rules worth settling first, and how to run one for a fundraiser.
Also called chicken shit bingo and chicken poo bingo.
The basic rules
- The board. A grid of numbered squares, painted or taped on a board or table, with a fence or cage around it so the chicken stays on the grid.
- Buying squares. Each square sells once per round, at a price the organizer sets. Players often buy more than one.
- The chicken. Once the squares are sold, the chicken goes on the board, usually with a little feed to keep it moving.
- The winner. The first drop decides it. Whoever holds that square wins the prize or the pot.
- The split. Many games pay the winner part of the pot and keep the rest for the bar or the cause. Say how it splits before you sell a square.
House rules to settle before the first round
- On a line. If it lands across two squares, the usual options are to split the prize, give it to the square with the most, or run the round again. Pick one and post it.
- An unsold square. Decide whether the round runs again or the house keeps that prize.
- No show. Set a time limit, and decide in advance whether you extend it, rerun the round, or refund.
- The judge. Name one person whose call is final, and stand them where they can see the whole board.
Running one for a fundraiser
- Check the law first. Selling chances at a prize usually makes a game a raffle or game of chance under state law, and many states require a charity to hold a license for that. Ask your state's charitable gaming office before you sell squares.
- Take care of the bird. Use a calm, healthy chicken, keep rounds short, give it feed, water and shade, and let it rest between rounds.
- Make it easy to follow. A big numbered board, a posted rules sheet and a clear payout keep the arguments down.
The same game, bigger
Swap the chicken for a cow and the table for a fenced field marked in a grid, and you have cow pie bingo, also called cow chip bingo, a county fair and school fundraiser favorite.
Where to play
We keep a list of bars that run it, mostly in Texas and Wisconsin: see where to play chicken shit bingo.
Chicken poop bingo FAQ
- What are the rules of chicken poop bingo?
- Players buy numbered squares on a grid, a chicken is set loose on the board, and whoever holds the square where the chicken first poops wins.
- What happens if the chicken poops on a line?
- It depends on the house rules. Common choices are splitting the prize between the squares, giving it to the square with the most, or running the round again. Good games post the rule before selling a square.
- Is chicken poop bingo the same as chicken shit bingo?
- Yes. Chicken poop bingo, chicken poo bingo and chicken shit bingo are all names for the same game.
- Is chicken poop bingo legal?
- It depends on the state and who runs it. Because players pay for a chance at a prize, it is often treated like a raffle or game of chance, which can require a license, especially for a charity. Check with your state's charitable gaming office.