Polystyrene Foam;any reason I can't feed it to chooks?

Discussion in 'General chat' started by kimbo.parker, Jun 24, 2009.

  1. milifestyle

    milifestyle New Member

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    Re: Polystyrene Foam;any reason I can't feed it to chooks?

    lol... I hope you keep your "unbridled lunacy" going...

    potato starch makes good packaging... doesn't it ? That can be fed to chooks :D

    Yes he may have been a "frigin chook farmer" but that doesn't mean he wasn't pulling your other leg. Many people also jokingly say glyphosate is safe enough to drink... that doesn't mean they'd recommend you drink it.
     
  2. WolfJag

    WolfJag Junior Member

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    Re: Polystyrene Foam;any reason I can't feed it to chooks?

    Could it be because too much fresh water was taken from the ground and now the saline water has risen to occupy its space? It sounds like an insoluble problem during the next few centuries...
     
  3. milifestyle

    milifestyle New Member

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    Re: Polystyrene Foam;any reason I can't feed it to chooks?

    Wrong thread i think Wolf...
     
  4. WolfJag

    WolfJag Junior Member

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    Re: Polystyrene Foam;any reason I can't feed it to chooks?

    I know. I moderate in another forum and what I would have done myself when the issue of the saline water showed up would be splinting the thread in two and make a note of it. I did get interested in the offshoot topic, though. No real criticism to the moderator here, I want to let it clear. :D
     
  5. milifestyle

    milifestyle New Member

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    Re: Polystyrene Foam;any reason I can't feed it to chooks?

    Yeah, i didn't think of that... :D
     
  6. spiraleddie

    spiraleddie Junior Member

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    Re: Polystyrene Foam;any reason I can't feed it to chooks?

    Hi, i was just following the argument of feeding polystyrene to chooks, and i wondered if there was any value in it as to me it always seemed an inert material that resists any degradable process, so i did a search on wikipedia for styrene (the polystyrene precursor) and i was surprised to find that there is a natural precedent for styrene.
    copied from wikipedia-
    Styrene is named after the styrax trees from whose sap (benzoin resin) it can be extracted. Low levels of styrene occur naturally in plants as well as a variety of foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, beverages, and meats.

    while found in the environment naturally most styrene is produced synthetically in the millions of tonnes a year( likely the form you feed to your chooks).
    As an industrial chemist ( my profession) i read a lot of MSDS's and most compounds that have an aromatic ring (benzene) structure will likely have a warning of being a possible carcinogen and once i looked at the structure of the styrene molecule the "aromatic" signal rang in my mind and as i read further in the wiki article the health effects section confirmed my belief.
    copied form wiki-
    [edit] Health effects
    Styrene is only weakly toxic, with an LD50 of 500-5000 mg/kg (rats).[1][8]. The US EPA has described styrene as "a suspected carcinogen" and "a suspected toxin to the gastrointestinal, kidney, and respiratory systems, among others."[9][10]

    The U.S. EPA does not have a cancer classification for styrene, but currently is evaluating styrene's cancer-causing potential through its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program.[11]. The National Toxicology Program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also currently is evaluating styrene's potential toxicity [12]. To date, no regulatory body anywhere in the world has classified styrene as a known human carcinogen, although several refer to it in various contexts as a possible or potential human carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer considers styrene to be "possibly carcinogenic to humans.".[13]

    being listed as weakly toxic to rats may be enough to stop you from feeeding it to your chooks as birds are often more sensitive to environmental toxins and if you are slaughtering your birds they may not live not long enough for the toxicity effect to be noticable, i work in vet pharmacutical development and we test a whole range of body fluids for the evidence of toxicity and looking at "ok" chooks may not be enough.

    but the clincher for me as stated above is the presence of the aromatic structure, often aromatics are fat soluble and reside in the fat portion of animals and while no evidence is found in the meat the fat will often contain the dissolved aromatic compound.
    i seem to recall a situation that had arisen from the production of styrene in the 50s where the workers were affected by inhalation of the styrene, i will see if i can find further details.
    Cancer is one of those diseases that no one really knows the cause of so i tend to look at anything suggestive of it with a bit of caution.
    anyway my two cents.
     
  7. pebble

    pebble Junior Member

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    Re: Polystyrene Foam;any reason I can't feed it to chooks?

    Thanks, that's very interesting. So presumably there would be problems with the eggs as well?
     
  8. spiraleddie

    spiraleddie Junior Member

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    Re: Polystyrene Foam;any reason I can't feed it to chooks?

    Anything with a significant fat content will be at risk of carrying the styrene, eggs i think have a certain amount of fat in them but im not sure how much.

    I should have said in the earlier post that eating fat with a small amount of styrene dissolved in it will introduce the styrene into your food chain and being fat soluble the styrene will then partition into your fat, the problem with that is small amounts ingested while on their own would be considered harmless will build up in your fat to possibly a toxic level and then rereleased into the body over time like a slow release drug.
    So in my opinion any dose of styrene i would avoid as it is likely to linger in your body for quite a time, but i am not a biologist or nutritionist and only speak from a purely chemical view so i cant speak of possible effects.
     
  9. kimbo.parker

    kimbo.parker Junior Member

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    Re: Polystyrene Foam;any reason I can't feed it to chooks?

    Well that screws that pooch...thank you players!
    I will find some other innovative thing to feed my chooks....dam. aromatics huh?...

    So what is the ultimate, perenial chook tucker ....rush on the buzzers as a thousand permaculturalists shout Acacia spp.

    But someone out there knows something else; tell us please. I'm bored with the status quo; someone toss me a bone, give a bloke something he can run with.
    Do it now, and there won't be any stupid debate about this in 5 years time (maybe),,,

    And the brand new paradigm for chook tucker is :_____________________________________________________.

    If it doesn't have a name yet propose it anyway and jeeze you could be immortalised in permaculture when we name it after you.
    I can just see it now; the holy grail of chook tucker...."The Steve" :lol: :notworthy:

    regards, Kimbo
     
  10. Grahame

    Grahame Senior Member

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    Re: Polystyrene Foam;any reason I can't feed it to chooks?

    I wish they ate dog pooh and cat pooh.

    They eat mice that I catch in mouse traps. Do you think there is anything wrong with that?
     
  11. milifestyle

    milifestyle New Member

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    Re: Polystyrene Foam;any reason I can't feed it to chooks?

    Providing the mouse hadn't been eating at a neighbours rat bait.
     
  12. Tezza

    Tezza Junior Member

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    Re: Polystyrene Foam;any reason I can't feed it to chooks?

    Hey Kimbo..how are you mate...

    Im in the great southern area also..I/we posted so much stuff in here about chook feed/food..Its everywhere in here...

    If u want more info give me a call.maybe we get together and think more about the subject......I live In woodanilling 20 ks south of wagin...

    Tezza
     
  13. popular123

    popular123 New Member

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    Re: Polystyrene Foam;any reason I can't feed it to chooks?

    I can't see any good in doing that. I mean, zero nutritional value plus possible chemical uptake. And a good old constipation for the birds
     
  14. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Re: Polystyrene Foam;any reason I can't feed it to chooks?

    "Old" polystrine was probably plastic and not advisable.
    Now they are making packaging material out of corn -starch.
    I am not sure of its chemical composition but it MAY be able to be used as food.
    Do you have a chemist friend who can analyse it?
     
  15. kimbo.parker

    kimbo.parker Junior Member

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    Re: Polystyrene Foam;any reason I can't feed it to chooks?

    G'day Tezza, I know 'Woody',,,glad to know I'm not the only one in the region that has an interest in the subjects here.
    I'm past polystyrene though. I'll watch for your posts mate.
    Life in the village, nothing like it eh. Dam villagers can piss you off though :wink:
    Love em or loathe em you can't ignore em.
    regards, Kimbo
     
  16. Tezza

    Tezza Junior Member

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    Re: Polystyrene Foam;any reason I can't feed it to chooks?

    hi kimbo,life here is pretty good,neighbours are quite and well behaved,surprised how simuler they are to myself,in more ways then one :D 8) 8) :D

    gotta lotta dogs around,they are outsidemore then the locals,I only moved here in febuary,and enjoying it so far,,we mmoved from broomehill after being there for 12 years,and suburban perth for over 20 yrs.....at least the people wave to u in the country,im not game to wave in the city incase they think im giving them the up yours signs :( :( :( ...

    i dont post here as often as i used to......anymore..but drop in from time to time...theres quite a few permies around the countryside,you can tell by their gardens :D :D :D

    its nice at a country pub also,everyones friendly :drinkers: :drinkers: :drinkers: :drinkers: :drinkers: :drinkers: :drinkers: :drinkers: :drinkers: :drinkers:

    we need a smokers emoticon now :( :(

    Tezza
     
  17. lovingmygarden

    lovingmygarden Junior Member

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    Re: Polystyrene Foam;any reason I can't feed it to chooks?

    Hi Kimbo,
    I used to feed my chooks polystyrene too when I lived out west. A friend living there who was also a breeder and also showed her chooks all over the country told me it helped to get rid of any worms they might have. My chooks loved it and they lived a long and healthy life laying eggs every day for 325days straight, so i don`t see how it can harm them if they can keep up that good laying rate. They also got plenty of greens from my garden and some grains too, so I think they got a good diet.
    I have new chooks now, but find it very hard to source any polystyrene here.....guess I`ll keep looking though.
    cheers :drinkers:
     

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