chicks eating wild mushroom

[feeding frenzy]

I found my 2 chicks pecking the heck out of a wild white mushroom while free ranging yesterday. They lost interest in eating the mushroom after 2 minutes. I did not see adverse side effects from my chicks. Are wild mushrooms dangerous for chickens?

 

[cbenson6820]

im sure certain ones might be but when i let my chickens or especially my turkeys free range they devour the mushrooms around my house. I live in a wooded area by a creek so it stays pretty wet back there and we get all sorts of odd looking mushrooms and the turkeys have sampled them all with no ill side effects.

 

[chfite]

I believe that chickens will not eat anything dangerous when they have free choice of what to eat. If foraging, they should not eat anything bad because they can pick and choose. Otherwise, nature would not have kept chickens around for long.

Chris

 

[LaynaDon95]

I believe that chickens will not eat anything dangerous when they have free choice of what to eat. If foraging, they should not eat anything bad because they can pick and choose. Otherwise, nature would not have kept chickens around for long.
Chris

I agree with that to a point, but chickens have been known to eat things like screws and light bulbs so... It's all about natural selection. The smart ones survive to breed and hopefully have smart babies and the dumb ones die.

As far as the mushrooms go, I wouldn't worry unless you notice them acting funny afterwards. Not really sure what you could do about it anyways. Chickens are awfully stubborn creatures. =P

 

[feeding frenzy]

I agree with that to a point, but chickens have been known to eat things like screws and light bulbs so... It's all about natural selection. The smart ones survive to breed and hopefully have smart babies and the dumb ones die.

As far as the mushrooms go, I wouldn't worry unless you notice them acting funny afterwards. Not really sure what you could do about it anyways. Chickens are awfully stubborn creatures. =P

screws?? That's crazy. I was watching my hens today. Seems Nanny loves to nibble on my jalapeno leaves. Spicy chicken and eggs? We'll see if she'll eat the jalapenos when they fruit

 

[LaynaDon95]

screws?? That's crazy. I was watching my hens today. Seems Nanny loves to nibble on my jalapeno leaves. Spicy chicken and eggs? We'll see if she'll eat the jalapenos when they fruit

Mine won't mess with peppers, but they looooove watermelon and beans and tomatoes off the vine. -_- We actually had some chicken scratch grains sprout in the garden, so after everything we didn't want them to eat died, we opened up the garden and let them clean up in there. You should have seen them jumping up 4-41/2 feet to get to the heads of grains! It was hilarious!

 

[Turkeytruff]

screws?? That's crazy. I was watching my hens today. Seems Nanny loves to nibble on my jalapeno leaves. Spicy chicken and eggs? We'll see if she'll eat the jalapenos when they fruit

I read somewhere that birds don't taste 'hot'.

So that story (can't remember if it came from a forum here) about someone sprinkling cayenne pepper below a bluebird's nest to stop a squirrel taking her eggs makes a lot of sense

 

[cbenson6820]

it is true. Chickens don't have the taste receptors needed for spicy foods to effect them.