Styrofoam eating

[ednasgirl]

My free-range chickens found some styrofoam and over a period of time, ate a good deal of it before we discovered them in the act. Will the eggs be safe to eat. We feed them laying pellets, scraps, scratch grain, and they eat in the acreage about 6 hours per day.

 

[jtbrown]

I don't think the styrofoam causes poisoning as much as possible blockage. I worried myself sick when my chickens found a spot of sprayfoam used for sealing cracks, they pecked it cleaner than if I used a knife to clean it up. I especially worried about the bantums since they are so small. Well, they all lived.

I cannot saying yours are guaranteed to be fine, but remove the foam object, and watch them. Again, I don't think they can digest it, so the issue is if it blocks up their crop or gizzard or elsewhere in their digestive tract. I don't think the eggs would be effected. Anyone else want to chime in?

 

[ednasgirl]

Thanks. My son's family who love getting fresh eggs are very health conscious (as we should be) and he is worried about eating the eggs. We did remove the styrofoam as soon as we found it. So far, they seem fine. Thanks for your input.

 

[woodmort]

I'm always hoping they will poop out the eggs wrapped in little cartons. Otherwise it doesn't seem to hurt them any but it is a good idea to keep any styrofoam insulation covered.

 

[angie3881]

I don't think they would absorb any of the chemicals into their system since the Styrofoam probably wouldn't break down and hopefully just passes through. We might be horrified to know everything our chickens eat!

 

[Tracydr]

Mine ate a bunch of insulation off the utility room door. Chickens aren't very smart sometimes.

 

[mommissan]

Quote:

 

[silkiechicken]

Chickens LOVE the squeak on their beaks when eating styrofoam... haven't seen any issue with them post plastic gorgings....

 

[gale65]

I don't think it would hurt anything. I frequent a food allergy board and there are people who are deathly allergic to soy but can eat eggs and meat, and we all know commercial hens and other commercial livestock get plenty of soy in their diets.

 

[Country Hen]

We are new to this chicken thing and decided it would be good to insulate the coop. We had to take it off the doors as there were huge chunks taken out and then everybody had runny poo. Then they started in on the ceiling so we started covering that styrofoam. It took us three trys before we finally covered everything they found. They also tear the labels off the garbage cans we use for feed. Just waiting to see what they find next.