Eating insulation!

[amaranth320]

Here's a weird question for the experts. My girls are free-range in our fenced back yard. Recently, they discovered that condensation collects on the edges of the insulation that's wrapped around the pipe leading from our air conditioning unit to the house. They started pecking at the drops of water, and in doing so, pecked away all of the insulation around the air conditioning pipe! We didn't notice they were doing it until the insulation was almost gone, and none of them has acted sick, so I'm assuming the stuff won't hurt them. However, we're trying to figure out how to keep them from doing it again once we replace the insulation. My husband thinks the last insulation was polyurethane. He got rubber insulation this time, but it's very soft rubber, and I'm sure they'll peck at it again as soon as they get the chance. We don't want to have to build a little fence around the thing, but I suppose we will do one out of chicken wire if we have to, just to keep them away from it. Do any of you have any ideas on how to keep them from pecking at this stuff without constructing a tiny fence/cage for the pipe? Crazy chickens!

 

[TwoCrows]

Recently a lady I were PMing back and forth, that had a chicken that ate some of that spray on insulation foam and the hen ended up dying. So be very careful what you apply that the chickens have access too.

 

[singwithmylife]

We’re having this same problem! @amaranth320 did you ever find a solution? I’m trying to figure out what to do! My flock of 13 decimated the insulation on our two ac units within two days! I’m glad to hear yours didn’t get sick because that was my biggest concern!

 

[aart]

We’re having this same problem! @amaranth320 did you ever find a solution? I’m trying to figure out what to do! My flock of 13 decimated the insulation on our two ac units within two days! I’m glad to hear yours didn’t get sick because that was my biggest concern!

Cover insulation with something they can peck thru.