Are daffodils safe for chickens?

[fatcatx]

I am getting mixed information on whether daffodils are safe to have around chickens. It is on most poison plant lists but some specifically point to the bulb as being the poisonous part. Our daffodils are coming up and so far the chickens have ignored them. I've read on several other threads that they leave the green alone but some will eat the blooms. So safe or not? Are the leaves poisonous?

 

[bobbi-j]

I really don't know how safe they are for your chickens, but chickens just seem to know what they can and can't eat. I suppose they'd be extinct by now if they didn't...

 

[KayTee]

I really don't know how safe they are for your chickens, but chickens just seem to know what they can and can't eat. I suppose they'd be extinct by now if they didn't...

I thought that, but then one day my 16 week old roo found the rhubarb leaves that had grown over the fencing, and decided to feast on them. Up until then all the chickens had pretty much ignored them, but I took the 'they wouldn't eat it if it was bad for them' approach. The following morning the roo wouldn't come out at all - he spent the entire day inside the coop. He sat on the perch, looking miserable and moaning, and pooping horrible brown liquid smelly poops. He obviously had the worst stomach ache in the world!

Needless to say, since then I make certain that the rhubarb and clematis plants that I have never grow over into the garden where the chickens are. I think I was lucky last time - don't want to push it!

As long as they aren't eating the daffodils I wouldn't worry, but the moment that one of them starts to show an interest in the leaves or flowers, I would do something to keep the chickens away until the daffodils die off. Better safe than sorry.

 

[chfite]

My chickens don't seem to be interested in the daffodils or the clematis in my yard. They don't eat the poisonous plants in the yard. I believe that it is because they have plenty of other options as well as plenty of layer pellets available all the time.

Chris

 

[fatcatx]

Thanks to everyone for weighing in. I guess I will keep a beady eye on the chickens for the next month and hopefully they will continue to ignore the plants. I would be deeply bummed out if I had to dig them all up. Daffs are one of my favorites.

 

[Rodrad]

Thanks to everyone for weighing in. I guess I will keep a beady eye on the chickens for the next month and hopefully they will continue to ignore the plants. I would be deeply bummed out if I had to dig them all up. Daffs are one of my favorites.

Any update on the daffodils and chicken? We have about 60-7 daffodils bunches in the run. Our chicks are now about 8 weeks old and they haven’t yet try to eat the leaves of daffodil.

 

[Folly's place]

Answered on your other thread. Bad idea to have toxic plants in the run! Bad for the daffodils, too.
Mary

 

[fatcatx]

Any update on the daffodils and chicken? We have about 60-7 daffodils bunches in the run. Our chicks are now about 8 weeks old and they haven’t yet try to eat the leaves of daffodil.

Our daffodils are in the yard, not the run. Ours leave them alone for the most part. I think it just depends on the individual chicken and what else is in the space to investigate. We do not have a lot so easy to keep tabs. With the number you have, that might be challenging.