Eating dry wall and floppy comb

[firedancer57]

DH ran his power wheel chair into the wall, huge hole about 12x18". While I was trying to get him settled and before I could get the dry wall cleaned up, I hear a peck, peck at the wall. Sure enough it was Zee, pecking and eating the little dry wall pieces. Forward, I finally have patched the hole in the wall but I find Zee pecking at the patch and tearing off tiny pieces of drywall patching. I know that eating the dry wall is not good for her but why is she so insistent on trying to eat it? Any guesses? we give her ground oyster shell and cuttle bone. Any ideas would help. Will be wainscoting the hallway next month.
Next question, her comb falls funny. The many pictures I have seen shows combs standing up, while hers just flops. Is this a dietary issue or just genetics? She's supposed to be a Barred Rock, she's 11 m/o. and lays most every day.

She's supposed to be a Barred Rock, she's 11 m/o. and lays most every day.
Thank you
Ann

 

[NYRIR]

I don't know why chickens eat what they do sometimes...I have some foam board insulation on the bottom of my house that I had to fence off because they LOVE to eat it!
Quick question though,I noticed you only have one hen?From everything I've learned on here...chickens are social and need more of their own kind.Maybe she's bored....springs coming...why not get her a playmate? It's the famous chicken math thing...1 becomes 2 becomes 30- something

 

[SmartyChick]

*sigh* our chickens eat strange things too, like the jelly stuff in the bags of garden soil. Just try to stay on top of them, chickens are funny creatures.
Some hens just have a floppy comb, sometimes it is because their combs are extra big and flop over on themselves. It's nothing to worry about.
I agree with NYRIR, chickens usually need a playmate, without one they can get into trouble, or you could get a playmate and they would just into trouble together....

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
My chickens love foam!! WHY????????? !!!!!

We use TONS of pallets and they walk around the pallets pecking and eating the foam!

 

[NYRIR]

I do not know! I have the most trouble with that.I did put a temporary fence up...but this spring it's time to move some rocks and "decorate" there.I'm sick of them getting over,under, around etc...the fence!

 

[firedancer57]

Thank you for the answers. I really appreciate it. Zee is a house chicken, she was basically rescued and has been inside since. She has playmates, 2 dogs she has dominated and our parrots that she hangs around, of course they are watched carefully. I would love to have another chick, I want a silkies banty, a buff banty and well chicken math,. and with DH in a wheelchair its a job just keeping him happy.
Thanks again,
Ann

 

[Ohhhdear]

Gypsum is fairly inert and not toxic. It won't hurt you. It won't hurt your chicken, either, but it's not really very good for her either. Wikipedia says gypsum is made of calcium sulfate dihydrate. DH thinks this type of calcium is not as easily digestible as oyster shell calcium.

Reminds me of my dogs when they were puppies... when we forgot to kennel them while we were out of the house, they'd scratch and dig through the drywall. We never found drywall pieces, so they must have eaten them. Just big holes in the walls!

It's probably boredom that's making your Zee peck at the drywall. At first it was curiosity at the hole, then maybe the novelty of doing something different and the sounds it made... who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of chickens!!

BTW, mine love pink foamboard too. We had to barricade the entire footing of the house so they can't peck at it anymore.