Chicken suddenly started eating shavings

[kristine16]

One of my 3 year old hens recently had an impacted crop. It was full mostly of grit but also some pine shavings. I suspected the shavings got eaten when she was in the kennel with them without food for 24 hours. I removed the pine shavings from the crate and added some of the nesting box material we use instead (aspen shavings which are long threads instead of typical small shaving pieces). She was not eating those at all.

My vet and I were able to get things moving. I can no longer feel grit in her crop. She passed some shavings initially and has been in a crate on soft foods. She has now transitioned back to regular food for a few days and is doing well. Lots of normal poops, very bright, eating and drinking and extremely tired of being in the crate. Today I tried letting her back out and she immediately started eating shavings. I took her outside and she was even finding stray shavings in the dirt to eat so she went right back into the crate.

I have 11 chickens. They get everything they need and everyone else is healthy. They get organic layer crumbles, fly grubs, minimal sunflower seeds and scratch for treats as well as fresh foods for treats here and there. Oyster shell and grit always available. Their food is also always available. Periodically I add some probiotics and electrolytes to their water. She has had those and apple cider vinegar in her water in the crate throughout this.

Why would she do this? I am hesitant to transition from pine shavings to something like straw because the last time we switched it up (just to a different brand of shavings that also included fir) we had multiple chickens get bumble foot.

This same chicken also had an episode about a year ago where I found her under the roost in the morning unable to move. My vet determined she had a mass which an egg pushed into her spine. She laid her egg and recovered completely and has not had another episode. My vet did X-rays when the impaction happened and it didn’t look like the mass was involved. She did not think the two issues were related.

Any ideas what I can do to get her to stop eating shavings? Right now my only thought is maybe give her more time in the crate to recover from the impaction (although she seems recovered) and see if that helps. She has lost a lot of weight through the ordeal. Maybe once she’s put some back on shavings will seem less appealing?

 

[Debbie292d]

Do they have a run?

The reason I ask is, you said they were out of feed. We always have feed out, but maybe you don't have the room for this or have varment issues. Also, if always getting grit, she should be handling it fine normally, but must've ingested way more than normal. I know about this as we use horse bedding pellets in the coop and in the brooder. I'd be lying if I said they didn't sometimes eat a few of those, but that's why the older ones are fine because they free range and get grit, and I give grit to the little ones in case they eat any. Both things are 100% pine so not harmful ingredients in themselves, but they just shouldn't be filling up on them as that's when it gets them in trouble like yours.

Perhaps always making sure food is available somehow to them, and enticing her with some scrambled eggs or oatmeal. Maybe if she fills up on good food, she'll remember how nasty those flakes tasted.

 

[kristine16]

Sorry if my post was confusing…they do always have food and a good sized run. I put her in a crate without food for 24 hours when I discovered her crop was impacted, which is what I understand should be done for an impacted crop. The crate did still have shavings in it when she had no food for 24 hrs which is when I suspected she ate the shavings but seeing her eat them today makes me think she may have done it prior to being in the crate and that maybe that and/or the massive amount of grit she ate caused the impaction. They are never without food. They have everything both in their large coop and their run (food, water, grit, oyster shell)

 

[thecatumbrella]

Any update on your situation? My chickens have been eating their bedding (pine shavings and/or hemp) more than usual as of late. I'm pulling my hair out trying to troubleshoot.

 

[kristine16]

When I tried putting her back with her flock a second time a couple days later she was no longer eating the shavings and has been doing fine since. I wish I had something more helpful to say!

I’m not sure where you live but my next plan if the problem continued was to try a different brand of pine shavings. The ones from Tractor Supply. Normally I get Natures brand and they are very soft. Tractor Supply’s are much larger and coarser and I imagine less appetizing. We have bought them a few times in the past and they didn’t cause problems, I just prefer the softer ones. The brand I bought when we had an outbreak of bumble foot were not 100% pine, they also contained fir and I know pine has some antibacterial properties. The timing could’ve also been pure coincidence. Anyway, good luck!

 

[thecatumbrella]

When I tried putting her back with her flock a second time a couple days later she was no longer eating the shavings and has been doing fine since. I wish I had something more helpful to say!

I’m not sure where you live but my next plan if the problem continued was to try a different brand of pine shavings. The ones from Tractor Supply. Normally I get Natures brand and they are very soft. Tractor Supply’s are much larger and coarser and I imagine less appetizing. We have bought them a few times in the past and they didn’t cause problems, I just prefer the softer ones. The brand I bought when we had an outbreak of bumble foot were not 100% pine, they also contained fir and I know pine has some antibacterial properties. The timing could’ve also been pure coincidence. Anyway, good luck!

Of course that makes total sense... unfortunately, mine are eating the large course flake from Tractor Supply

There is no logic to anything chickens do! But I'm glad you were able to get some resolution.