cherry tomato plant in run?

[Chicken poppy]

It's very true that most things that are "toxic" or "poisonous" aren't like when someone gets poisoned in an old movie (very fast and dramatic death). Most things that are toxic would require a certain level of ingestion to really cause damage.

A taste would probably just taste bad (many toxic things are quite bitter), or maybe cause a little minor discomfort. Obviously more than that would be bad.

With some things, not all of the plant is toxic too. Like with Pokeweed, aren't the berries not toxic to birds? I thought they were spread mostly by birds eating the berries and, err...depositing the seeds around?

Pretty sure it poses a risk. My chicken ate a few and seemed sick for a bit, she got better but that was the last time i let her near them.

I‘m not sure if you’re responding to me because you didn’t quote my post? If you are, i’m not sure where people are getting the quantity from. I’m pretty sure all i was saying is it poses a threat to birds and they eat things they often aren’t supposed to. Though this is getting a bit off topic from OP’s post. We went from tomato plants to chickens dying from toxic plants. I say we end this discussion here.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Pretty sure it poses a risk. My chicken ate a few and seemed sick for a bit, she got better but that was the last time i let her near them.

I‘m not sure if you’re responding to me because you didn’t quote my post? If you are, i’m not sure where people are getting the quantity from. I’m pretty sure all i was saying is it poses a threat to birds and they eat things they often aren’t supposed to. Though this is getting a bit off topic from OP’s post. We went from tomato plants to chickens dying from toxic plants. I say we end this discussion here.

Not a direct reply, just some general comments based on where the thread seemed to be headed. But yes, it's gone a bit off-topic for sure.

Back on topic...I wonder if the combination of a wire cage and an elevated container tomato would work. I'm thinking like an inverted 5-gallon bucket with a container on top, all surrounded by a welded wire ring. The added height would likely keep the chickens from snacking, although by growing in a container you do miss out on some of the chicken run nutrients.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Not a direct reply, just some general comments based on where the thread seemed to be headed. But yes, it's gone a bit off-topic for sure.

Back on topic...I wonder if the combination of a wire cage and an elevated container tomato would work. I'm thinking like an inverted 5-gallon bucket with a container on top, all surrounded by a welded wire ring. The added height would likely keep the chickens from snacking, although by growing in a container you do miss out on some of the chicken run nutrients.

I just feel like it could be easier to not plant them in the run. It seems like a hassle but i suppose if OP really wants to it would be good to try out a few things and see what works best.

 

[Morrigan]

I had a cherry tomato plants grow in the chickens yard. My layers ate all the fruit and pretty much ignored the leaves. My meat birds then discovered the plants and razed them to the ground. I don't know what the long term effects would have been, because they were meat birds, but they seemed fine, until their appointed time came.

My take aways is that first, given enough space and variety in growing things, chickens will ignore things that aren't particularly good for them. Second, a bored chicken or a voracious eater like a meat bird will eat pretty much everything.

Styrofoam is a special case. For some reason, all chickens love styrofoam.