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Should I worry about poisonous weeds by the coop or in the run?

post #1 of 6
7/20/12 at 2:40pm
Thread Starter 

Hi All,

I'm a newbie chicken mom, with three just about 2 week old chicks (RIR, Australorp (i think), & Barred Plymouth Rock) and one little over one week old chick (Blue Cochin).  They've got a ways to go before they're big enough to go out in the coop but I am planning where to put it.  Our yard has A LOT of creeping buttercups (http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/animalsAndPlants/noxious-weeds/weed-identification/creeping-buttercup.aspx), which I've read are toxic to chickens, cows, goats, etc.  I've also read that chickens are pretty good at avoiding stuff like that, but I'm guessing if it is in their run they will eat it sooner or later.  If my husband and I remove as much as we can would that be sufficient?  I imagine the girls will eat any new shoots that try to come back up.  Or we could use Roundup or something like that but I'd like to avoid chemicals.  Has anybody else dealt with this weed?

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post #2 of 6
7/20/12 at 3:30pm

I've never worried about poisonous plants. Chickens seem to naturally be able to tell what's edible and what's not. I let my chickens free range on our 20 acres and not one chicken has ever been poisoned. 

I have 18 chickens, one kitten, 3 dogs, 2 hermit crabs, and live on 20 acres in the country. I am CrAzY about chickens and plan on getting more! I am continually working to better my chicken practices and to better my flocks. 

 

~"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."~Albert Einstein 

 

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I have 18 chickens, one kitten, 3 dogs, 2 hermit crabs, and live on 20 acres in the country. I am CrAzY about chickens and plan on getting more! I am continually working to better my chicken practices and to better my flocks. 

 

~"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."~Albert Einstein 

 

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post #3 of 6
7/20/12 at 3:38pm

chickens are smarter than you think. they only eat what is good. mine roam free through the village and i have never had one poisoned in 11 years. ernie

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post #4 of 6
7/20/12 at 3:46pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks for the replies!  I guess I will try to stop worrying just clean it up the best I can before they move outside.  If anybody else has any advice, please let me know!  I love my baby chickies already so I'm a little overprotective. smile.png  Plus my cat ingested some (at least we think that's what it was) and vomited and had horrible stomach issues for almost a week.  He weighs 12 lbs so I start to imagine what it damage it could do to a lightweight teenage chick...

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post #5 of 6
7/20/12 at 5:38pm
If they are confined in a run or overcrowded and low on other feed they may try anything green but I let mine free range also with many plants on "that" list and no problems. They are naturally smart and know what to eat and what not to. Just try to enjoy them, we sure do.....
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post #6 of 6
7/21/12 at 10:32am
Thread Starter 

Thanks Hawgon!  We're going to try to give them lots of room and maybe some contained free ranging (is that an oxymoron?) in another part of the yard that is less weedy so hopefully that will keep them out of trouble.

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BackYard Chickens › BYC Forum › Raising BackYard Chickens › Coop & Run - Design, Construction, & Maintenance › Should I worry about poisonous weeds by the coop or in the run?