lead poisoning risk?

[rosemarythyme]

how I can tell if the wire has a galvanized coating?

Almost all wire mesh such as hardware cloth and chicken wire is galvanized. If it isn't, it would rust quickly.

 

[aart]

My chickens don't eat the wire of course since it doesn't flake, but I'm still worried that just being around the wire will make them ill. Also aart, could I ask how I can tell if the wire has a galvanized coating?

Almost all wire mesh such as hardware cloth and chicken wire is galvanized. If it isn't, it would rust quickly.

Yes, most all wire mesh/fencing is galvanized, and the galvanized coating can leach the lead into the soil over time. I have no idea just what the risk of that might be.

I think your soil is much more of a concern, since you know the soil is contaminated with lead, it's showing up in the eggs, and your child already has higher levels.
Curious @chooky-dooks where do you live and if you've also had your water tested?
Are you on well water or 'city' water?

 

[Grace Brooks]

I know this is an old thread, but for those who are dealing with this currently, you can use 3M lead swabs to test galvanized steel items. I'm not sure how effective it is compared to testing paint, but I do know most but not all of the galvanized items we tested with the swabs turned red right away, including a watering can we were using on our seedlings, the chicken wire we had and one variety of hardware cloth but not the other. Maybe the concentration was just lower on that one. We are thinking of replacing our galvanized hardware cloth with 304 stainless steel hardware cloth, which has the prop 65 warning on it for nickel. I don't know much about nickel, but I'm guessing it's less of a concern than lead.