Brassica spp

[joenelz]

Noticing the toxic plant site referred to in another post I visited and noticed that Brassica spp are toxic to chickens. Kale and perennial broccoli are the favorite plant foods of my chickens. They even have their own plants and I put branches in the coop when they can't go outside! I thought the vit A was good for them and the, esp the new chick are big fans. Has anyone had problems with it? What happens? No more, except I don't know how I'll break them of the habit of helping themselves.

 

[chcknrs]

I think I read somewhere that it was only the seeds that were toxic. Anybody else?

 

[speckledhen]

I plant Kale for my chickens and they love it. Makes the yolks a beautiful color.

 

[joenelz]

Ok, I did more research. The big problem for livestock is when rapeseed is used as the main feed, and even that is reduced with newer strains of rapeseed. But the whole plant of all the spp are toxic abit, but that can apply even to human and it's generally safe for us to eat even even the most toxic like brussel sprouts. (We have tough livers!) The most toxic parts are the young leaves and flowers. So the old lower leaves the girls get off the Kale plants as salad maybe aren't too deadly.