Chickens Pecking At Lead Base Paint

[Happycowdog]

We live in an old house built around 1925. It was in bull-dozing condition until we bought and renovated it beautifully. Well, the only painting we have to do is on the garage door and it was bubbly. Now, one of my Wyandotte hens has been pecking at it and eating the paint, more than likely lead-based paint. There is now another brahma that is pecking and eating the garage door paint too!

My husband sanded smooth the left-over paint on the garage door, yet they still go after it! My husband blocked it, they find a way around the block. My husband's second home is the garage so chicken wire won't work. Until the weather breaks, do any of you have suggestions to keep them off of that door? They are enclosed, but the garage door is included in that enclosure. Obviously, too much lead will hurt anyone. Do you think that a few paint chips will add lead to eggs or seriously hurt the health of my hens? Right now there is snow on the ground and we can't do anything until the weather breaks. We plan on repainting in the spring.

 

[Happycowdog]

Also, the hens have began to congregate around the base of the house. They are now pecking the latex paint of the house!! Will latex harm my chickens? Why in the World are they doing this? Are they bored?? We plan on moving the enclosure to the back along with painting in the spring. But again, any suggestions will help at this point.

 

[spell]

i would screw a piece of plywood over it untill you can take care of removing the paint....
you should NEVER sand any paint you suspect to have lead. lead paint crackles like alligator skin.
i think they are pecking it b/c it is supposed to taste sweet.....your latex on the other hand, i have no clue. --maybe b/c it's bubbly and catching their eye.
i hope someone has a better answer for you....
we have lots of lead paint around our old farmhouse. it's a long process to get it all cleaned up (in an environmentally safe way)

 

[Happycowdog]

good idea on the plywood. I don't think there was a big patch my husband sanded and he wore a dust mask. Yikes! These old houses can be downright dangerous. Thank you!