Why do chickens eat styrofoam?

[WSF]

Hello, I have an ICF (foam blocks filled with concrete) house and my chickens are eating the foam from some of the sides and I was wondering why they eat foam and how if at all I could break them of it. Does anyone know the answers to my questions? I really don't want to have to put plastic all the way around my house until I finish the outside.

Thank you

 

[silkiechicken]

Chickens are just silly. Mine will gobble up Styrofoam if they can get their beaks into it! No idea what the appeal is.

 

[DoctorGoose]

Mine too--especially the faucet covers for the winter. My hens will also eat the plastic off the siding.

 

[BeckyLa]

I've heard of a few birds eating an entire styrofoam cooler. If you don't want to cover with plastic then you'd best find something else before they literally eat you out of house and home.

 

[newbeechickens]

hello i have heard when chickens eat styrafoam it will make them lay people give it to them mine have been eating and they been laying good

 

[cheeptrick]

Mine have been digging up the weed fabric...going to have to mulch really good this fall.

 

[rooster-red]

It can't be good for them.
Mine are laying good and haven't had a bit of foam.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i was stupid enough to put a styrofoam plate on top of a topless feeder to protect it from droppings. My husband walked past the pen and heard a funny sound - the sound of them eating half of it before he pulled it out.

My adult hens also like pecking away at the insulation surrounding our air conditioning pipes and wires. i have no idea why they do that.

 

[Rafter 7 Paint Horses]

I don't know why they like it so much, but they do.

Kinda like, why do kids & DH's like to stick things into styrofoam & poke holes in it?????

We sometimes put styrofoam in for our chickens as a playtime thing. They go crazy over it.

Sounds like your house will have to fenced or wrapped in plastic before they do as BeckyLa said "eat you out of house & home"


Jean

 

[Itsme]

Cover your basement as soon as you can.
We had big fancy ideas for ours but no money,ended up covering it with plywood until our ideas met up with our finances

Between the chickens and the wild birds they will peck plenty.

Also the sun and weather will degrade it to powder too.

Cover it up...... somehow.....