Anyone else worried about microplastics in their chickens?

[ManOverBoard]

While feeding the flock this morning I had a thought...
Should we be worrying about the girls getting micro plastic from the feed bins and waterers? And what of the eggs.
Anyone else wondering about this?

 

[nuthatched]

No.
At this point, it's not worth worrying about.

 

[saving grace]

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

I think this belongs in the former.

 

[Altairsky]

I'd be more concerned about microplastic in processed human food like tuna cans, bean cans, plastic beverage bottles, tetrapack, etc.

 

[ManOverBoard]

I was trying to think if the galvanized metal is any better? I'm sure it too must have draw backs

 

[RadEggs]

While feeding the flock this morning I had a thought...
Should we be worrying about the girls getting micro plastic from the feed bins and waterers? And what of the eggs.
Anyone else wondering about this?

Mine eats full-blown peices of plastic. Im not even sure how she finds them. After the neon purple mushroom she ate and all the glass shards (again, where is she finding these?????) I stopped worrying. They will be fine.

 

[saysfaa]

While feeding the flock this morning I had a thought...
Should we be worrying about the girls getting micro plastic from the feed bins and waterers? And what of the eggs.
Anyone else wondering about this?

Yes. And yes.
Thankfully, stainless steel is a great option and very low cost if you get a little creative - such as dog dishes reused as feeders. Ceramic is also inert and very inexpensive and works well in warm weather.

 

[Possum-Pie]

You as a human are eating exponentially more micro/macro plastic than a hen. They ingest 99% less potential toxins than we humans do, yet we manage to survive...

 

[Al Gerhart]

I am highly skeptical of this entire micro plastic business. How will plastic fragments pass the molecular boundary in digestive systems? Bodies absorb molecules, atoms bound together, not large chunks(compared to molecules) of plastic during digestion.

Ditto once in the blood system, how would the plastic get out of the blood without being molecule size?

 

[Al Gerhart]

As for galvanized metal, it is 100% safe unless you drag your finger along a jagged edge. Both iron and zinc are essential minerals and are naturally in a non bio available form, usually an oxide.