are thistles bad for chickens there every were i live

[the chicken farmer]

i was wondering about this because thistles are every were here and did not know if my chickens could eat them.

 

[R2elk]

i was wondering about this because thistles are every were here and did not know if my chickens could eat them.

I have lots of Canada thistle around. I have not noticed any of my poultry messing with the thistles. They can eat the thistle seeds but I have not seen them make any attempt to eat any part of the plants. They have not caused any issues with any of my poultry.

Good luck.

 

[lazy gardener]

There are many different kinds of thistles. Helpful if you narrow it down a bit. You could do a google search and see if you can find the particular kind that you have, then do a google search to see if it's edible. IMO, a chicken won't mess with something that is toxic as long as she has choices.

 

[ChicketySplit]

Most thistle seeds have a protein content between 15-20%. I feed the seeds to my chickens as a supplemental treat, and have had no adverse effects. They may not be interested in the flowers nor the plant, most of which are quite spiny.
Hope that helps!