My styrofoam eating girls

[Annasg]

I have just found that my girls, a month old, have gotten ahold of some styrofoam and have ingested it. Will this hurt them? I just don't know what to do about this. Thanks for any helpful info.

 

[pfields]

Mine did the same thing several months ago when I filled the bottom of a small Styrofoam ice chest that a ham came in for Thanksgiving with some water because we were going to be gone and I wanted them to have extra water (we have a water well and a chicken fountain). Let's just say it wasn't the same shape when we got home and none of them died. So, I guess it's not that harmful.

 

[Folly's place]

Chickens will eat ANY insulation or foam products they can reach! Either don't use it, or cover it with a solid surface. Mary

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

After a day of fishing with my family a few years ago, we brought our catch home in a styro cooler. We cleaned them, and I set the cooler aside so I could clean it out after we'd cooked and eaten out meal. When I came back to grab the cooler, my flock had pecked down to just one little corner None were any worse for wear, but I keep all of the styrofoam out of reach now!

 

[Annasg]

lesson learned

 

[Papachook]

My cuckoo marans love to dig in the flower bed next to the house and uncovered some insulating foam and started eating it. I tried burying it but they just dug it up again so I boarded it up. Not sure why they like it but they are definitely attracted to it. So far none seem to have been affected by it.

 

[TimCline]

They love styrofoam. Don't do this but, I know a guy that gives his chickens stryrofoam cups and swears it makes their egg shells harder lol. Don't know if it's true but I can't imagine it's healthy.

 

[Annasg]

My girls are just a month old. I have oyster shell but have not given it to them yet. I am wondering if maybe I should. Maybe they are needing something that they are not getting in their chick starter. Any ideas?

 

[clucklady]

I once gave my girls the leftovers from a Chinese restaurant still in the styrofoam take-home box. Naturally, they ate it all, including the box. I panicked and googled to find that this is a common problem.

But all my girls did just fine and never even pooped plastic, so it turned out okay. But I'm careful to keep the inedibles away from the birds now.

 

[microchick]

Styrofoam is the equivalent of Chicken chocolate. Last week I noticed that during a few days of high winds that a styrofoam plate had blown into the run overnight. The peck marks on it were remarkable. It looked like it had been shot at close range by a shot gun. They just cannot resist the stuff. On the rare occasions that they have gotten access to the stuff it hasn't seemed to hurt them but I've learned not to leave it in their reach.

It amazes me that it doesn't cause an intestinal blockage on them.