Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[nab58]

Here's a strange one; yesterday and this morning a caught a few of my chickens picking and eating the styrofoam insulation that is between the outer walls of the house and the vinyl siding. They are going up to the side of the house and reaching up under the siding to pick at it. This is frustrating as I have to find something to block them for eating it but in the meantime if they do eat some, will it cause harm ?

I found mine eating the paint off the side of the garage door jam. They started doing it at the same time they started laying so I guessed it may be a calcium deficiency. I gave them a cup of crushed oyster shells (they'd been getting layer feed and crushed egg shells already) and the paint picking stopped. Don't know if it was just coincidence.

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

I found mine eating the paint off the side of the garage door jam. They started doing it at the same time they started laying so I guessed it may be a calcium deficiency. I gave them a cup of crushed oyster shells (they'd been getting layer feed and crushed egg shells already) and the paint picking stopped. Don't know if it was just coincidence.

Mine are over a month, close to two, before they start laying so I dunno what the heck is up but it's bizzare that they just started doing it. They eat FF twice a day when they aren't free ranging and when they are, I feed them the FF once per day so I'm not sure why they're doing this.

 

[Demosthine]

Quote:
I have heard that styrofoam is a huge issue with chickens eating it. One person that mentioned it previously lost nearly her entire flock when they found one of those styrofoam beer coolers and went to town pecking it. She said they died within a matter of hours, so perhaps they inhaled some or larger pieces got stuck in their throats. Meanwhile, others say theirs have eaten it and survived to attack another garage door or egg carton later. So it's really hard to tell you one way or another. It doesn't digest or break down like nearly everything that they tend to eat, so it can cause severe blockages. It is not something that I would take a chance with, so keep watching them closely. The more they eat, obviously, the more likely they are to suffer the effects of it.

 

[BlueMouse]

depending on what you're feeding, the feather picking CAN be an animal protien deficiency... This time of year, with full time acess to free range I would doubt it. but if it continues that would be a thought to consider. Some of mine liked to eat the feathers during their juvenile moult. I chalked it up to silly chicken behavior.

 

[armorfirelady]

Here's a strange one; yesterday and this morning a caught a few of my chickens picking and eating the styrofoam insulation that is between the outer walls of the house and the vinyl siding. They are going up to the side of the house and reaching up under the siding to pick at it. This is frustrating as I have to find something to block them for eating it but in the meantime if they do eat some, will it cause harm ?

Mine had eaten a little of the insulation in their coop but had no ill effects. I quickly removed it.

 

[RedRidge]

LOL... eating the paint reminds me of a mother who brought her daughter to the doc for eating glass found on the ground. She asked the doctor what she was lacking? Doctor said... supervision

 

[Triple Willow]

I read somewhere about cigarette butts causing chickens to have a blockage. Scary! Have any of you heard this?

 

[Triple Willow]

LOL... eating the paint reminds me of a mother who brought her daughter to the doc for eating glass found on the ground. She asked the doctor what she was lacking? Doctor said... supervision

LOL

 

[Windy Bay Farm]

I have heard that styrofoam is a huge issue with chickens eating it. One person that mentioned it previously lost nearly her entire flock when they found one of those styrofoam beer coolers and went to town pecking it. She said they died within a matter of hours, so perhaps they inhaled some or larger pieces got stuck in their throats. Meanwhile, others say theirs have eaten it and survived to attack another garage door or egg carton later. So it's really hard to tell you one way or another. It doesn't digest or break down like nearly everything that they tend to eat, so it can cause severe blockages.It is not something that I would take a chance with, so keep watching them closely. The more they eat, obviously, the more likely they are to suffer the effects of it.

I've taken some precautions today to block the area where they are eating the styrofoam. I'm going to continue to keep an eye on them and make sure they aren't getting into it anymore. Little buggers !

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

I know it's been said that fermenting feed increases the protein %. However, when I look at my ff, I do not see how it's possible for there to be more than maybe a 2% increase. I just can't see it. I really like feeding the ff, but can someone please explain to me in simple terms how fermenting feed is supposed to increase the amount of protein?