Safe and unsafe scraps/plants for chickens and geese

[PhantomSlayer]

I'm using google the best of my ability but I feel like there will probably be some things missed so I would like to double check things that others know.

Our chickens and geese will be free ranging together but I knows there's stuff my mother will want to give them and I just think we should have a printed list of stuff so refer to.

I would also like to include garden and wild plants. I live in North west LP of Michigan so if there's any plants that might be in our yard/garden that may be a potential issue I'd like to be able to keep an eye out. I read they'll avoid them typically though.

I also guess there's bound to be things that chickens can have that geese can't and vice versa so anyone who knows of such things please point it out.

 

[Sally PB]

Your google-found lists are probably an excellent starting point. Here's another place to look.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...chicken-treats-what-can-chickens-eat.1273191/

USUALLY, chickens won't eat something poisonous. (I know nothing about geese.)

You can look up specific things that you know they will encounter. That might get you more definitive information.

Also, stop by the Michigan Thread!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/michigan-thread-all-are-welcome.697050/page-5505

 

[PhantomSlayer]

Your google-found lists are probably an excellent starting point. Here's another place to look.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...chicken-treats-what-can-chickens-eat.1273191/

USUALLY, chickens won't eat something poisonous. (I know nothing about geese.)

You can look up specific things that you know they will encounter. That might get you more definitive information.

Also, stop by the Michigan Thread!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/michigan-thread-all-are-welcome.697050/page-5505

That is a amazing help! Everything I've been finding via google sometimes doesn't go into specifics of what parts of stuff they can eat or only names a hand full of stuff so I've gone through about 20 small lists for chickens alone and still feel like the list isn't showing everything lol

 

[Sally PB]

When I need to know about something specific, I start searching for just that thing. If you can find the Latin name of the plant, that might help too. A lot of common weeds are known by more than one name.

It can be hard to find common names of weeds at times. I'm sure there are apps that will figure out what your weed is if you have a picture of it, but I'm not that techno savvy.

I needed to find out if chickens could eat Hairy Bittercress. It took a while to find a picture that matched what I saw in the garden when the snow melted. (I really wanted to give the chickens some fresh greens, and that stuff is plentiful.) Weeeeeelllll.... they didn't care that much for it. Oh well.

 

[PhantomSlayer]

When I need to know about something specific, I start searching for just that thing. If you can find the Latin name of the plant, that might help too. A lot of common weeds are known by more than one name.

It can be hard to find common names of weeds at times. I'm sure there are apps that will figure out what your weed is if you have a picture of it, but I'm not that techno savvy.

I needed to find out if chickens could eat Hairy Bittercress. It took a while to find a picture that matched what I saw in the garden when the snow melted. (I really wanted to give the chickens some fresh greens, and that stuff is plentiful.) Weeeeeelllll.... they didn't care that much for it. Oh well.

Lol were hoping they like most of the stuff we typically grow in our garden thats safe for them. We usually do a few pumpkin plants but they never really get big enough to carve for halloween so they'll be getting those. We get ALOT of dandelions in our yard. Theres some plants I'll have to look up that we get alot of but I'm hoping as it was said chickens avoid the toxic plants usually. We also plan on piling up the grass cuttings and leaves since we have a collector we can attach. We also have mushrooms pop up so I'm a bit worried just on the basic wild plants that tend to spring up.