My chicken ate some foil!

[roz]

Hi All,
I had a container of chicken scratch out in the run and hadnt had a chance to put it down yet, but my barred rock went over and nabbed some foil off of the container before I realized what she was doing. I tried to get it away from her but she has been very spunky lately and was too fast to catch. She ended up eating it. It was probably about an inch worth of foil that she managed to twist into a little ball. Should I be worried???

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

No, I would not worry. Most anything they can get in they can also get out, they eat rocks right!. Slight risk it could cause a blockage in the crop but I think foil would be soft enough it will just get mushed through.

 

[galanie]

The answer above is probably right on. Watch the bird for signs of illness and keep and eye on the crop but it'll probably be ok.

My cockatiel ate some foil but rather than a ball, it was tiny bits. The vet was concerned but she showed no signs of being ill; I had taken her there for another reason and the x-ray was a 'just in case' thing. But it showed bits of metal which i knew to be aluminum foil right away. The vet recommended some Metamucil in something like peanut butter. I ended up giving her some of that stuff they feed baby birds mixed with an equal amount of metamucil because that was the only way she'd eat any. The pig eats everything unless you *want* her to eat it usually.

She eventually expelled all the foil bits and I don't know for sure if what I gave her helped or not. I have a feeling she'd have expelled it anyway.

And your bird probably will too. But since it's a small ball rather than tiny pieces, keep an eye on it.

 

[Mahonri]

Everything will work its way out in the End.

Just like poop and eggs.

It all comes out there.

 

[roz]

Thanks to all who responded!

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Should it happen again - or you see the girls with something they should not have - do not chase them. Chase encourages them to quickly eat what they have. Instead, get a handfull of treats and throw them out. Chances are good, that the hen will drop the "icky" and go for a treat. (course this does not always happen, they do have a mind of their own

)

 

[roz]

Thanks for the tip. I did toss out more of the chicken scratch I had made when I realized she wouldnt let me near her, but she was too interested in the shiny metal piece she had. She is a strange chicken of ours...not like the rest. She was our first egg layer, but then a couple of months ago she started limping and stopped laying. Her limp went away in a week, but then her earlobe swelled up, which also went away, but then she had minor swelling in her face it seemed like which went away too. She acted normal other than this, except that she no longer would let us pick her up. It's like she has become wild again. I realized a couple of days ago that she is molting (She's less than a year old...I think she's only about 7 months old) because it has looked like a down pillow exploded in the run and her molt is taking a long slow time. I know this post is totallly off topic of what it started, but I am just perplexed by her.