Why are my chickens pecking the paint off the barn?

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
first if they have already eaten the entire length of the barn, YOUR too late, sorta like worring if a baby could cut himself on the steak knife you let it play with for an hour, then it dawns on you that the kid could get hurt.

Second, I would do a little better preping next time you paint, or you got more problems than chickens eating paint, bugs or mold?? Maybe next time by a better paint.

If it is loose, and within a chickens reach its been eaten by a chicken, be it loose paint, insulation, prize winning flowers.

 

[Msbear]

I remember listening to the chickens pecking at the side of the house. Our farmhouse was built pre civil war in Sharpsburg, MD. It must've had five layers of crumbly paint on it til Dad finally cumbled himself and paid someone to strip and repaint it in 2004.

I wonder how high the lead levels were in all those tasty eggs we grew up eating ???

 

[LAChick]

Our flock ate the oil base paint off our outdoor rattan furniture. They peck at the outside door moldings, probably for the insects (termites) hidden. They really love our Halloween Styrofoam Grave Stones; they eat that just like popcorn at the movies. Different things that satisfy their tastes!

 

[ChickenTender63]

Maybe they just didn't like the green color of the coop and were helping you strip it so you can repaint it for them, lol

 

[gggalaxy]

My chickens are doing he same! They are eating the paint of the house! does anyone know why?

 

[blackwpk]

I don't know why but our chickens are doing the same thing on our house! No loose paint, just pecking it until the paint is gone. Has anyone ever tried a spray critter repellant, natural ingredients of course? It is to the point of driving us crazy hearing them peck on the house! I am to the point of either spraying critter repellant or doing hardware cloth around the base of the house. Any other ideas??????

 

[mnailon]

If the paint is loose anyway, they might be taking it off looking for bugs underneath. Like has already been said, look to see of they are eating it or leaving it lay on the ground. Either way, putting metal up a couple of feet along the bottom would stop that. I don't know, except to cover it with something, of anything else that would help. But, I'd say if they've cleared the paint off over months, it probably won't hurt them or you'd be seeing signs by now.

My 8 year old black chook died a few days ago. She has been pecking paint off the pegola and wall. I looked to see if non-lead pant is poisonous. Google said it has an ingredient that can cause respiratory problems. A sign of dying of respiratory problems is that the cone turns black. Well my Blacky's cone had turned very dark. So I'm still trying to find out how to stop the other chooks from pecking at the paint.

 

[rosemarythyme]

So I'm still trying to find out how to stop the other chooks from pecking at the paint.

How big is the area they're pecking at?

Mine were stripping paint off parts of the coop, so I wrapped stiff bird netting around the base of the entire coop, so it's uncomfortable for them to try and reach through to peck at it. Doesn't look great but from a distance you can't really see it, and it's done the job so far.

 

[Folly's place]

Those of us who are more mature grew up with lead paint and other lead objects everywhere. Lead children's toys, for example! And if you have your blood lead level checked, it may still be measurable, like mine. Too low to be treated, but definitely present. Never mind the other wonderful things we didn't realize were problems! Really evil pesticides, for example. Kept malaria at bay, which was a good thing...
So much for rambling!
Get the chickens away from the paint, whatever it is. Older structures will have lead paint!
Mary

 

[suzy young]

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.