pullet with weird cravings - pregnant???

[pbjmaker]

One of my pullets (who might have started laying) has developed a weird fetish for paint chips off my garage. Do you think this is harmful? It is lead-free paint. No matter how many times we take her away from it - she runs right back. She even risked getting ate by a hawk yesterday. (everyone else was hiding in the shed while she pecked away oblivious to the threat)

If is was spring I would just scrape and repaint the garage...

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

What color is the paint?

 

[pbjmaker]

your basic dutch-boy outdoor white

I'm wondering if she is craving some calcium or something - I just went out to lock down the coop for the night - all the other chickens are in it or at least under it but she was back over in drizzly misty dusk picking away at it again.

At this rate I won't have to scrape

 

[davidb]

she could be artistic

 

[Chirpy]

She doesn't like plain white... you need to spice it up for her with something like jazzy orange!

 

[missourichickenmama]

Quote:

good idea... orange with a white chickens painted on it!

 

[AngieChick]

Heck, I vote for blue with purple chickens painted on it!

I have no idea why she would do that, maybe she found a bug in there at one point and is now convinced it's the perfect foraging spot? I know, it's a lame guess, but it's the best I've got for you. That's just plain weird chicken behavior.

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

Maybe it just tastes good to her? I'd keep an eye on that one, and if she starts developing other strange behavior post paint-eating, I'd start thinking of a way to get her off it. Sadly, if you don't intervene soon, the hawks may take care of your conflict for you...

 

[chookchick]

Okay, now seriously folks, I think she must be craving something. I would try putting out some oystershell, and some high protein treats for her. Especially if she is just starting laying. My hen was eating pine shavings when she started, but now she has eased up.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I would think about a deficiency of some sort...perhaps calcium. Does she have free access to oyster shell and grit?