Hydrangea's toxic?

kirkster5

In the Brooder
11 Years
Apr 7, 2008
61
1
39
My chickens will sometimes nibble on our Hydrangea's. I just read that theses plants are "Cyanogentic" and are toxic to animals. They dont seem to be having any problems and it's not like they are mowing them down just the occasional nip. Am I concerned?? I dont want them to get sick but removing these plants would be sad as they are so colorful.
 
Hmmmm... I recently got some after last year's plantings died and hen Annie has been eating the flowers, even before I could get them planted, which finally happened yesterday after work. My neighbors have them too. Hoping they are not going to hurt her......
JJ
 
I've been looking and picking flowers dead or alive all over my yard...for ground cover that will make the place smell nice...the hydrangia don't really smell sweet or pungent...just fresh which is awesome...but I have so many of them....if they're not toxic id love to use them as ground cover..at least that would make the place smell better...but if they are then ill toss em into the woods...so far I've done daylilies which I know are fully edible..but they're gone now....but the leaves are edible too...and I got tons of them...hysop...mint...tons of it
 
My sheep and ducks ate all of our hydrangeas... no problems.


A lot of the "this plant is toxic to animals" come from a single or a handful of cases. The only example of hydrangea toxicity I could find googling was of a horse who ate an entire bush dying (and some horses have really finicky guts). But of course, do your own research.

Some of the "this plant is toxic" are also just wrong. People love to say tomato leaves are toxic because they contain solanine - but they don't - tomatoes produce tomatine instead, which is significantly less toxic. Potato leaves are what are actually toxic.
 
I wish I could get a definitive answer to this. I could double my girls run if I was sure they could nibble on Hydrangeas. When I let the out they seem to go right for it. I don't care if they eat it but don't want them to get sick. They have eaten some and are fine. Any help would be appreciated.
 

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