My button is obsessed with eating paint chips!

[TheWeeBee]

I let my two tame buttons out to run around on my den room floor every evening. This past week, my hen, Bee, has been gung-ho for the peeling paint at the base of my doorframe. I put objects around it to block her from getting to it, but she is persistent! I've read of blue jays eating house paint for its calcium/limestone content. Is there something she feels is missing from her diet that would cause her to go after paint?

Here she is, stretching to get past my obstacles, poor Easter Bunny

 

[OhItsKay]

What's her diet like?

 

[TheRealTimShady]

maybe there is something behind the chips, like and ant that she saw or something. i dunno

diet might be it as well.

 

[TheWeeBee]

She eats a mix of chick starter crumble, powdered egg food (by Quicko) and a bit of millet. Garnished with dried greens and mealworms every day.

 

[OhItsKay]

Does she get any oyster shell or cuttle bone? Crushed up versions of either of those are beneficial to quails, especially females, since their eggs take up so much calcium.

 

[TheWeeBee]

Yes, I add some to her dish every day as well. It's an oyster shell/charcoal grit

 

[OhItsKay]

This is a silly guess, because I know quails have pretty decent eyesight... but maybe try keeping it in a separate dish? Maybe she can't find it easily enough amongst the rest of her food?

Orrrrr maybe she just likes paint, who knows.