House paint has limestone in it and blue jays eat it for calcium according to the online article( By ANNE MARIE JOHNSON) that I read.
Sterilized eggshells are recommended as a subsitute:
How to Provide Eggshells Safely
Unsterilized eggshells may contain harmful Salmonella bacteria. Before providing eggshells, boil them for 10 minutes or heat them in the oven for 20 minutes at 250° F. Let the eggshells cool, then crush them into pieces smaller than a dime. Offer the eggshells in a dish or on a low platform feeder.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publicatio ... _jays.html
Blue Jays Eat House Paint
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Blue Jays Eat House Paint
Give a Weed an Inch and it’ll Take a Yard