Chickens ate azaleas??

[Gooselover567]

Last summer, we planted about 5 small azalea bushes in our backyard. Anyways, the chickens ate all of the bushes (they are gone now). I just read that azaleas were highly toxic to chickens and was curious about this. 1 blue ameraucana died that summer from paralyzation, and another of my blue ameraucanas died from the same thing about a month ago. Could this be related to the azalea bushes? The rest of my chickens were fine.

 

[the_peanut_coop]

Last summer, we planted about 5 small azalea bushes in our backyard. Anyways, the chickens ate all of the bushes (they are gone now). I just read that azaleas were highly toxic to chickens and was curious about this. 1 blue ameraucana died that summer from paralyzation, and another of my blue ameraucanas died from the same thing about a month ago. Could this be related to the azalea bushes? The rest of my chickens were fine.

A snipit from a google search:
Although azaleas are beautiful, all parts of the plants are also highly toxic and can cause digestive upset, weakness, loss of coordination and cardiac damage. To keep flocks safe, house them away from azaleas or dig up the shrubs and relocate them out of the birds' reach.

 

[Gooselover567]

Yes I am aware of this but the bushes are gone now because the chickens ate them all last year, which is what I don't understand

 

[the_peanut_coop]

Yes I am aware of this but the bushes are gone now because the chickens ate them all last year, which is what I don't understand

THat is a good point. I don't understand why they would take effect now. Perhaps it is some sort of disease. What part of the chicken was paralyzed?

 

[Gooselover567]

It was the same for both chickens, although the incidents were a year apart that their legs were completely paralyzed