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Chickens Eating Perlite??

post #1 of 8
4/9/12 at 6:57pm
Thread Starter 

I keep my chickens in an old garden area that is no longer used. The chickens are digging up the entire thing and bringing up old perlite from potting soil, bits of charcoal and other old debris from the plants of long ago. There is TONS of this stuff and there is no way to clean it out of the ground. 

 

Is this perlite stuff safe for them to eat? They dine on it like they are starving to death! 

Of all the things I have ever lost, I miss my mind the most. 

Keep one eye on the past, one eye on the future and both eyes on the present. ~ a Raven ~

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Of all the things I have ever lost, I miss my mind the most. 

Keep one eye on the past, one eye on the future and both eyes on the present. ~ a Raven ~

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post #2 of 8
4/9/12 at 7:03pm

It's safe for them to eat. In my experience, chickens like white, shiny, or something that looks like seeds to them. I remember my hens found something Styrofoam and started fighting over little bits of it. But since this is not plastic, it's safe to eat. 

 

It's the shape that makes the breed, and the color that makes the variety.

 

  -- -- Spa Days for Chickens -- --

 

 

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It's the shape that makes the breed, and the color that makes the variety.

 

  -- -- Spa Days for Chickens -- --

 

 

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post #3 of 8
4/9/12 at 7:37pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks. I had no idea about this Perlite, as they have been eating it for about a year now and nobody has died. 

 

What about the large amounts of wood ash chips? I am not talking about a few bites..there is tons of carbon from the wood ashes we used to dump in there. The chickens eat LARGE quantities of this stuff. Sometimes I think it give them the runs. Is it too much for them?

Of all the things I have ever lost, I miss my mind the most. 

Keep one eye on the past, one eye on the future and both eyes on the present. ~ a Raven ~

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Of all the things I have ever lost, I miss my mind the most. 

Keep one eye on the past, one eye on the future and both eyes on the present. ~ a Raven ~

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post #4 of 8
4/9/12 at 8:00pm

If it's giving them the runs, you can try to block the area they go too. I know if you crush the ash, and sprinkle it in dusting holes, it can prevent mites, sometimes and sometimes not. Make sure they have constant feed. You don't want them to live off of that like some people live off of samples at Costco! 

 

It's the shape that makes the breed, and the color that makes the variety.

 

  -- -- Spa Days for Chickens -- --

 

 

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It's the shape that makes the breed, and the color that makes the variety.

 

  -- -- Spa Days for Chickens -- --

 

 

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post #5 of 8
4/9/12 at 8:09pm

Perlite is actually a type of volcanic stone, so they should be able to eat it just like grit. Some of the cheaper potting soil has actual styrofoam balls in it (which is spongey instead of crunchy like perlite) and I'm not sure if it would be ok for them to eat those.

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post #6 of 8
4/9/12 at 8:16pm

Yep, styrofoam is not okay. It doesn't have anything in it for them, it isn't good if they are laying eggs either. 
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stormy Autumn View Post

Perlite is actually a type of volcanic stone, so they should be able to eat it just like grit. Some of the cheaper potting soil has actual styrofoam balls in it (which is spongey instead of crunchy like perlite) and I'm not sure if it would be ok for them to eat those.



 

 

It's the shape that makes the breed, and the color that makes the variety.

 

  -- -- Spa Days for Chickens -- --

 

 

Reply

 

It's the shape that makes the breed, and the color that makes the variety.

 

  -- -- Spa Days for Chickens -- --

 

 

Reply
post #7 of 8
4/9/12 at 8:24pm

I would actually be more nervous that it's indigestible and might cause some kind of blockage. Kind of like when a dog eats pantyhose or rubber. I got a bunch of plants that had styrofoam in the dirt, and thanks to the wind and rain it ended up all over the yard. I'm kind of crossing my fingers that my ducks don't develop a taste for it.
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by JerseyGiantfolk View Post

Yep, styrofoam is not okay. It doesn't have anything in it for them, it isn't good if they are laying eggs either. 
 



 



 

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post #8 of 8
8/26/12 at 3:06pm

Thank you all for posting i was going to ask this Question as my pets are my only babies , some times i raise them to eat but i love them and sometimes I will say NO NO NO i can not do it lol .

so we got egg/meat That way i can change my mind " WINKS"

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Have you ever wondered how a hen can lay an egg every day?
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