Black walnuts

[Terrik]

I have a black walnut tree and I was planning on racking those leaves up and putting in the chicken run. Is it ok for the girls to have the walnuts also. I don't spray the tree, I ususally just throw all the walnuts away. Can they even crack the shells open? Thanks for the help, new chicken mama here. Lol

 

[OldChurchEggery1]

I wouldn't give them the leaves or whole walnuts. If you ever shovel out your coop and use that as a fertilizer on your garden, you'll kill everything. Walnut hulls and leaves contain a chemical that suppresses plant growth, which is why you can't get anything but grass to grow under a walnut tree. As far as your birds' health goes, they would probably be okay but uninterested in the walnuts. Now, persimmons are another story! Mine love those.

 

[theoldchick]

Dried black walnut leaves (and sawdust) are deadly to horses. I wouldn't use them for my chickens.

 

[saladin]

Quote:
The roots, nut husks, and leaves secrete a substance into the soil called juglone that is a respiratory inhibitor to some plants. A number of other plants (most notably white birch) are also poisoned by juglone, and should not be planted in close proximity to a black walnut. Horses are susceptible to laminitis from exposure to black walnut wood in bedding.


It won't hurt your chickens at all, but I doubt they are going to touch the walnuts. I would think it a waste of time, but it should do no harm.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yes, chickens are not horses. The walnut leaves or hulls won't hurt your chickens.

I've read different things on the Juglone: which parts of the tree have it, how long it takes to break down, and whether any is left after composting. I personally do not use leaves, hulls, bark, or any part of a walnut tree in my compost or garden.

Your chickens will not be able to open the nuts to get to the meat inside. They are too hard to peck open and too big to swallow and get into the gizzard. Black walnuts are probably too big to be ground up by the gizzard anyway.

Physically, they won't hurt your chickens, but I would not put walnuts in the run anyway. I'm mainly talking about the husks. When they are green or even after they dry up but them get wet again, they stain real bad. If you put the husks in the run and it gets wet, I'd expect your chickens to have stained feathers and feet. They probably would not track that into the nest and stain the eggs, but many people would not like stained chickens. And if you handle that stuff in the run when it is wet, you could stain your hands or your clothing.

 

[saladin]

Even if the chickens would eat the Walnuts I wouldn't give it too them.

The reason:

Black Walnut Ice Cream is one of the greatest gifts G_d ever gave to humanity. I'd not share my Walnuts. I'd make ICE CREAM.


Call me when you're thru churnning and I'll be right over!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'll make the Black Walnut if you'll make Butter Pecan ice cream. I honestly don't know which is best.

 

[Terrik]

Thank you for all your imput. I will now just put them walnuts in the yard debris like I have the last six years. It's a huge tree but why someone planted it in the front yard is beyond me. I hate the mess. Last year my neighbor had got six squirls and they took care of the walnuts for me but this year no such luck.