Why are my chickens pecking the paint off the barn?

[rosemarythyme]

One is occupied with steady pecking at the wall of the chicken coop while the other two dominate the feeder. Is that normal? i have had lots of chickens over the years, but never saw this behaviour.

Just the 1 feeder and 3 birds? Have you tried a 2nd feeder further from the first to see if food guarding is an issue?

 

[raingarden]

I was going to suggest leaning a piece of Styrofoam against the side of the barn. But, this would be even better: corn starch packing foam. It would enrich my life to watch them go after a piece of it.

 

[tina709]

Of course chickens peck. My concern was them ingesting toxic paint chips. They've stripped the paint off almost the entire length of our barn. (We painted only 3 summers ago.) I was curious if anyone else out there in chickenland has had their chickens eat paint off a building as well. That's all.

I do!! I can't get her to stop!

 

[raingarden]

Cover it with styrofoam so they can't get at it :>)