People who shoot guns, question about lead poisoning in chickens

[noisegeyser]

My whole family likes to shoot, so there's people handling ammunition in the living room pretty regularly. I try not to as much as I can, and dilligently wash my hands before I go feed or interact with my chickens regardless if I've been handling ammunition. Am I putting my birds at any serious risk of lead poisoning, and what can I do to mitigate that risk? I noticed shed intestinal lining in their droppings the other day, but freaked myself out and thought it was blood at first. Then read that blood in droppings can be a symptom of lead poisoning. They seem fine, but I just wanted to ask this question since it's really bothering me.

 

[noisegeyser]

I guess I'm just worried that washing my hands isn't good enough. Or I wash my hands, but then go on to touch surfaces that had ammunition on them/someone else touched who had lead on their hands. Maybe I'm being irrational, I don't know.

 

[Mmanist]

We are a gun family too, and honestly I never thought about that causing problems in my flock. Following to see what others say!

 

[coach723]

I doubt it would be a big problem unless the birds were eating spent ammunition. And some ammo is no longer lead, some are switching to other metals due to concern of the spent lead impacts on the environment and on wildlife that may ingest it or may ingest another animal that has eaten it. Some states have banned hunting with lead ammunition. So I would check your actual brand(s) of ammo to determine if it's lead, or something else. There still is plenty of lead ammo out there. Washing hands is always a good idea, but I wouldn't stress about it too much. My understanding is that it is possible to get some exposure through handling, reloading, heavy shooting in a confined space, but from what I've been told, you really have to work at it to get exposed to high levels. Eating it, or eating with your hands after handling it, would be higher risk. Obviously children and adolescents are at higher risk.

 

[wolfwalker]

Bullets are encased in copper so there should be no lead contamination. Shotgun shot is not lead based anymore. it is a mix of iron and Bismuth. As long as you clean up after yourself and wash your hands you and your birds should be fine.

 

[noisegeyser]

I doubt it would be a big problem unless the birds were eating spent ammunition. And some ammo is no longer lead, some are switching to other metals due to concern of the spent lead impacts on the environment and on wildlife that may ingest it or may ingest another animal that has eaten it. Some states have banned hunting with lead ammunition. So I would check your actual brand(s) of ammo to determine if it's lead, or something else. There still is plenty of lead ammo out there. Washing hands is always a good idea, but I wouldn't stress about it too much. My understanding is that it is possible to get some exposure through handling, reloading, heavy shooting in a confined space, but from what I've been told, you really have to work at it to get exposed to high levels. Eating it, or eating with your hands after handling it, would be higher risk. Obviously children and adolescents are at higher risk.

It's mostly 7.62x39 and .38 special hollowpoints (the .38 specials are not jacketed) that wind up in the living room, no one here does any reloading though so that's a plus. But they are definitely lead bullets. I keep everything of mine in the safe when it's not being used and clean guns outside, but there's not much I can do about my other family members. I'll try not to worry about it so much, the shed intestinal lining just gave me a scare.

 

[archeryrob]

Only some 22 ammo and muzzleloader ammo is exposed lead. If shooting 22's you should be using the coated ammo to not lead your barrels up so bad. Most modern ammo is hardened lead that doesn't wipe off very easy. Muzzleloader soft lead would be more of an issue, but you should not be handling it that much.

Most ammo you touch for modern rifles is brass casings and copper jacketed bullets. Nothing for you to get exposed from lead too be seen. I seriously doubt you could get enough lead on your hands to hurt them. You would be the one affected most even if there was enough to be a problem, which there is not.

Now if you were shooting shotguns and they were eating the pellets found in the dirt. Only then might you have a problem, But I doubt they are going to think pellets are food.

Shooting those rounds on steel targets will melt them into shards around the target. Our chickens walk by ours, but none bother that stuff. It's Useless matter to them.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

My whole family likes to shoot, so there's people handling ammunition in the living room pretty regularly.

My husband is an avid reloader and has tested high for lead poisoning.

But Coach is correct that many munitions are either jacketed or not lead at all.

It is more of an issue if you are firing the arms in a confined space, like the indoor range my husband used to go to.. and inhaling the vapors. Don't run a brass polisher inside your coop. He also pick up his spent brass and shakes out the polishing media.. He now does this outdoors.

Lead, when solid.. is inert.. it does not absorb through the skin.. it must be inhaled or ingested.. if you aren't casting your own bullets.

Despite testing extremely high, more than someone employed in a field where it would be expected.. he displayed NO symptoms and levels dropped with simple measures to reduce exposure without limiting rounds spent.

My husband states that a large portion of lead comes from the primers themselves and not the actual bullets and that lead free primers are not available to consumers.

There are ways to test how much lead is in your environment..
https://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-LeadCheck-Instant-Lead-Test-Swabs-2-Pack-LC-2SDC6/203313743

Good to be aware of the possibilities and head off any issues before they start, so good on you for researching this!

 

[noisegeyser]

My husband states that a large portion of lead comes from the primers themselves and not the actual bullets

That's what I had expected, why cleaning the guns themselves is also an issue. I wouldn't want to get any residue from the primers on my hands, though it's not like it's invisible. I'll definitely get some of those lead test swabs just for peace of mind, thank you.