Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE => Topic started by: Jerrymac on May 10, 2009, 01:56:29 pm

Title: Styrofoam Peckers
Post by: Jerrymac on May 10, 2009, 01:56:29 pm
 :shock: I bet that got your attention.  :shock:

I am using old water heaters to experiment with a solar water heater for the pool. The chickens like to go over and peck the Styrofoam off of the heaters, or pick up pieces and peck at it. Some they just drop but they do actually eat some of it. Hope it isn't bad for them.

Plastic eggs maybe  :?
Title: Re: Styrofoam Peckers
Post by: Natalie on May 10, 2009, 08:28:06 pm
Mine love styrofoam, I have to hide it or put it out of their reach until I can dispose of it.
I don't know what the attraction is but they have even gone into the trash and torn open a bag of styrofoam.
Its really weird that they love to go after it.
Title: Re: Styrofoam Peckers
Post by: Robo on May 10, 2009, 09:57:03 pm
Give them the corn starch packing peanuts.  Got to be better for them than the petroleum based Styrofoam.
Title: Re: Styrofoam Peckers
Post by: Cindi on May 11, 2009, 04:16:44 pm
Jerry  :shock: :shock: :shock:  :-X, I am sure that you certainly got a lot of people's attention, smiling.  What is it about styrofoam for sure!!   I know any time I have had styrofoam hanging around (like when I made divider boards for nucs), they would peck and peck at it if they saw it around.  Sometimes I would forget to put it away.

We also had an old bathtub from when we did our house renovation.  I put it in the chickenyard upside-down, thinking one day I may use it (no, not a pack rat, smiling).  They pecked the living daylights out of the yellow stryrofoam that was on the underside.  I had to take it out of the yard so they couldn't get it, I think chickens are rather dumb, smiling.  Have that great, most wonderful day, health.  Cindi
Title: Re: Styrofoam Peckers
Post by: dragonfly on May 11, 2009, 05:06:24 pm
It doesn't seem to be only chickens. :)
I built a new purple martin house this year, using plans from a website. The interior of the house is made of the pink rigid insulating foam for the walls and floors. The website said that sparrows and martins don't peck the foam, but starlings would, so I put starling-resistant entrances on the house. Anyway, a pair of sparrows set up housekeeping on the back side of the house and I wasn't aware of it. I opened the cavity to remove their nesting, and it looked like pink snow in there. :-D
Title: Re: Styrofoam Peckers
Post by: Brian D. Bray on May 12, 2009, 02:57:04 pm
Mine play tag with scraps of plastic.  It almost looks like flag football out there at times.
Title: Re: Styrofoam Peckers
Post by: JP on May 12, 2009, 03:06:35 pm
Now, now Jerry, you know there's no such thing!

Hey Jerry, you still into bees? Every one of your posts now is about chickens. You cheating on your bees with those chickens? Poor little bees! :shock:


...JP
Title: Re: Styrofoam Peckers
Post by: Jerrymac on May 12, 2009, 03:33:18 pm
As I said somewhere before, seems every time I mess with the bees I loose a hive. They do great when I leave them alone. And most years around here are too dry for anything to produce much honey with. My chickens on the other hand are doing all kinds of things.

Been contemplating selling all the bee stuff.
Title: Re: Styrofoam Peckers
Post by: Natalie on May 12, 2009, 04:51:06 pm
If you want to see something funny throw the chickens a marshmallow.
We were out roasting marshmallows around the firepit in the backyard when I dropped one and a chicken immediately grabbed it and ran with it.
When she put it down another would take it and run and it just kept going like that until all of them were running after this marshmallow and the rooster got it stuck to his beak.
Ya know how chickens don't like their beaks dirty and will wipe it back and forth on the grass to clean it?
You should see what they looked like after trying to wipe the marshmallow off their beaks.
This kept over 20 chickens busy for at least an hour.
Title: Re: Styrofoam Peckers
Post by: JP on May 12, 2009, 10:22:50 pm
Jerry, I remember you saying how you have to deal with drought conditions every year, man we are in a drought big time here in southeast, Louisiana!

At my main beeyard the tallow buds are literally drying up and turning brown. I don't like what I see at all.

My bees are making some clover honey. As long as my buddy doesn't cut his fields which they do on a way too regular basis, I will get at least some clover honey but we need rain badly!

I fear the tallow flow will be absent this year if the skies don't open up.

Keep you a few hives at least Jerry, you know how good bees are for the soul.


...JP