I left the empty heavy duty paper feed bag in the coop after emptying it into the metal feeder rushing off to work. Later my son called that the turkey's were eating the paper bag - pecking away and seemed to have eaten 1/4 ? of it before he saw and got it away from them. None of them (turkey's or chickens) seem to have any ill effects. We plan on processing them for Thanksgiving and he is worried it will do something to the meat. Does anyone see a problem? Should we wait an extra week to process?
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you don't have an extra week to wait. Thanksgiving is next Thursday. You should be processing them this weekend if you want meat for Thanksgiving. And to answer your question, no, I wouldn't worry about it.
Well if they were to make it beyond Thanksgiving I would imagine they'd be a bit constipated, but it won't hurt the meat. It's not IN the meat, it's IN the digestive tract. Or...maybe they'll have a hint of pine flavor Edited for speeling erorrs
I've caught my chickens eating styrofoam packing peanuts. I've caught my ducks chowing down on broken glass. And I caught my goose trying to gobble up a rusty nail. They all lived to tell the tale. How? I don't know. But they're all still here. Paper is nothing to worry about in light of my birds' dietary adventures. Good luck.
I've dressed out a quail that had a tiny screw wedged in his gizzard. I don't know how he ate the screw, but it had completely healed over. We couldn't tell the difference between him and the others when they were cooked. Although, we opted to not keep his gizzard. Paper sacks are fine. I wouldn't worry about it at all.
Yep Like the last two posters said, some of us have had birds that have eaten far worse. At least paper sacks are biodegradable. My ducks LOVE to eat styrofoam. I had several styrofoam nursery plant trays that I was trying to save to for the next seasons plants and the wind blew them down from where I had them and the ducks would eat them, and it has never hurt them. So you shouldnt have anything to worry about.
Okay, what IS it with these birds and styrafoam? Mine have done the same thing, and you can't shoo them away from it, they're back and at it if it's not removed. Then again, I'm reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and I'm thinking.......how much of what I eat has the nutritional value of styrafoam? But it tastes good, so I eat it Not to hijack the thread or anything, sorry........
Quote:I dont know and I have actually heard a couple people say that giving birds styrofoam to eat will help make them stop picking if they have been picking their penmates.
lol, yep to echo the others turkeys will "gobble up" anything I have a large diamond solitaire and one of my turkey hens wants to eat that stone more than anything, I would hate to have to butcher her just to retrieve it but that idea doesn't seem to phase her in the least.
