Question about coop wall material... and will they eat it

[laurenlulu]

Okay- I'm not sure if I should post here because I'm worried about them eating the walls, or in the coop design section because... because they're walls.

I have an old storage shed that my DH's grandparents built on our property back when it used to be there property- probably in the 70's-80's is when they built it. They used old ceiling tile panels (think school dropped ceiling) to line the walls. Other than those walls, the shed is perfect for a large coop.

Do you think the chickens will try to eat it and do you think it could be dangerous? Especially as far as the laying hens go- I'm worried about asbestos or something, I'm sure its a stretch that these are dangerous, but...

 

[Dar]

as long as there is no holes in it I would not be to worried...

I have the styrofoam in my coop and the girls were eating that so all I did was buy a roll of vapor barrier and cover the styrofaom and now they leave it alone..if you are worried about asbestos then just cover it with something like vapor barrier

 

[agnes_day]

the crate that we used for a brooder WAS lined with styrofoam but the chicks and gosling have eaten almost all of it. doesnt seem to be doing them any harm.

 

[gritsar]

Yes they will try to eat it. I would cover it.

 

[cybercat]

I personally would remove the ceiling tiles. They are probably not in the best condition and being so old I would be afraid of what they were made of back then. I can't imagine they would be easy to clean also. I would updated those walls with something else.

 

[Big Chicken Little]

They will love to eat it ...its fiber and they love fiber... Plus if it is painted it could have lead. I would remove it as it is an easy job.

 

[Dar]

be careful if you remove it because if there is asbestos in the tiles you may have to have it properly removed and disposed of in accordance with the government body that regulates the environment (in Ontario it would be the Ministry of Environment or MOE) if there is no law in your state regarding the removal of asbestos remember to wear PROPER mask and gloves your health is worth more then to take a short cut here.

 

[mjdtexan]

I think they will peck at it. I used an old Morgan building for our coop and I used that spray foam stuff to seal drafty areas. My chickens peck at it and I see it from time to time on the coop floor. It has not hurt them yet.

 

[morelcabin]

I'd leave them in there for insulation and just cover them with something

 

[rhondapiper]

It's not much of a stretch to think they could be dangerous-Theres a really good chance you'd be exposing yourself to asbestos if you leave them in to get pecked at by chickens. A quick check online brough back thousands of pages about asbestos in ceiling tiles. http://www.asbestos.com/products/construction/ceiling-tiles.php


One site I skimmed said to assume any old ceiling tiles not clearly marked are made with asbestos.

Good luck!