Comprehensive list of poisonous plants and trees

[Nana's Chicks]

We just built our chicken coop under a bunch of cherry trees . . . .I was reading earlier that cherries are good for them but what part of the tree is not good? leaves and bark? Should I move the chickens??

 

[Calen]

I don't know about cherry trees. I do have oak trees in the yard, and I have never had a problem with a chicken eating an acorn and dying. I can't say I have actually seen them eat one either. Three of my coops are under Chinaberry trees. I was very worried about this when I found out they are toxic, but the chickens do not eat them. Occasionally, you will see a peck, but I have never seen a chicken eat one, nor have I lost a chicken due to eating one. The ducks do not bother with them either. My chickens and ducks are let out every day except for a few when I am out of town so sometimes they are confined to those pens, but my pens do not have open tops so it is not very likely that the Chinaberries are actually in there with them. My guineas are in the third coop, and they do not eat the berries. Now, the horses like to eat the chinaberries so I have to keep it away from them. The goats love the leaves so they are not allowed in that area. I was going to plant a Chinaberry tree for shade for more coops, but I am not too sure if I should do it. I have turkeys again, and they are well, on the dumb side so I think they would eat the berries.

 

[IamCemini]

My first rooster was also killed by daffodil poisoning.

 

[Lauren Kim]

Nice list!

 

[NavyVetVetTech]

Thr only thing that would make this list better is pictures

 

[Amanda E]

Okay, here is my boggle...I’m needing a chicken safe hedge option that is evergreen. Any suggestion? Everything I find is on the list of poisonous.

 

[kristi83]

So i live in a very wooded area , lots of weird plants and oak trees and acorns . I let mine free range and just recently 2 of my girls died . Very fast deaths and I couldn't figure out what happend . What does everyone do to let them free range when they live in a wooded area like me ?

 

[rehdancer]

This is from Chicken Keeping Secrets newsletter http://www.chickenkeepingsecrets.com I thought that I would post this for you all:

Hi Graham,

I'm glad you wrote and you are right to be concerned about the
oak tree.

You would absolutely need to make sure your chickens do not eat
any dropped acorns.

Oak leaves as well as acorns can be toxic to chickens and as
chickens are very curious eaters, you can't assume that they will
know to keep away from them.

Chickens will eat most anything!

This would include screws, Styrofoam, most anything so everyone
LISTEN - make sure your chickens have an area that is completely
free from anything they should not ingest.

When it comes to plants though, I know that personally I tend to
not be quite as vigilant.

Especially if it is a plant that I've planted in my garden.

For this reason, I think it would be a good idea to re-post a
list of plants that are toxic to poultry. We posted this list
quite some time ago but because we have so many new readers each
week and because we could all use a reminder, check out this list
for the safety of your flock.

ARUM LILY
AMARYLLIS
ARALIA
ARROWHEAD VINE
AUTUMN CROCUS
AUSTRALIAN FLAMETREE
AUSTRALIAN UMBRELLA TREE
AVOCADO
AZALEA
BANEBERRY
BEANS: (CASTOR, HORSE, FAVA, BROAD, GLORY, SCARLET RUNNER,
MESCAL, NAVY, PREGATORY)
BIRD OF PARADISE
BISHOP'S WEED
BLACK LAUREL
BLACK LOCUST
BLEEDING HEART OR DUTCHMAN'S BREECHES
BLOODROOT
BLUEBONNET
BLUEGREEN ALGAE
BOXWOOD
BRACKEN FERN
BUCKTHORN
BULB FLOWERS: (AMARYLLIS, DAFFODIL, NARCISSUS, HYACINTH & IRIS)
BURDOCK
BUTTERCUP
CACAO
CAMEL BUSH
CASTOR BEAN
CALADIUM
CANA LILY
CARDINAL FLOWER
CHALICE (TRUMPET VINE)
CHERRY TREE
CHINA BERRY TREE
CHRISTMAS CANDLE
CLEMATIS (VIRGINIA BOWER)
CLIVIA
COCKLEBUR
COFFEE (SENNA)
COFFEE BEAN (RATTLEBUSH, RATTLE BOX & COFFEEWEED)
CORAL PLANT
CORIANDER
CORNCOCKLE
COYOTILLO
COWSLIP
CUTLEAF PHILODENDRON
DAFFODIL
DAPHNE
DATURA STRAMONIUM (ANGEL'S TRUMPET)
DEATH CAMUS
DELPHINIUM
DEVIL'S IVY
DIEFFENBACHIA (DUMB CANE)
ELDERBERRY
ELEPHANT EAR (TARO)
ENGLISH IVY
ERGOT
EUCALYPTUS (DRIED, DYED OR TREATED IN FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS)
EUONYMUS (SPINDLE TREE)
EUPHORBIA CACTUS
FALSE HELLEBORE
FLAME TREE
FELT PLANT (MATERNITY, AIR & PANDA PLANTS)
FIG (WEEPING)
FIRE THORN
FLAMINGO FLOWER
FOUR O'CLOCK
FOXGLOVE
GLOTTIDIUM
GOLDEN CHAIN
GRASS: (JOHNSON, SORGHUM, SUDAN & BROOM CORN)
GROUND CHERRY
HEATHS: (KALMIA, LEUCOTHO, PEIRES, RHODODENDRON, MTN. LAUREL,
BLACK LAUREL, ANDROMEDA & AZALEA)
HELIOTROPE
HEMLOCK: (POISON & WATER)
HENBANE
HOLLY
HONEYSUCKLE
HORSE CHESTNUT
HORSE TAIL
HOYA
HYACINTH
HYDRANGEA
IRIS IVY: (ENGLISH & OTHERS)
JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT
JASMINE (JESSAMINE)
JERUSALEM CHERRY
JIMSONWEED
JUNIPER
KY. COFFEE TREE
LANTANA (RED SAGE)
LARKSPUR
LILY OF THE VALLEY
LILY, ARUM
LOBELIA
LOCOWEED (MILK VETCH)
LOCUSTS, BLACK / HONEY
LORDS & LADIES (CUCKOOPINT)
LUPINE
MALANGA
MARIJUANA (HEMP)
MAYAPPLE (MANDRAKE)
MEXICAN BREADFRUIT
MEXICAN POPPY
MILKWEED, COTTON BUSH
MISTLETOE
MOCK ORANGE
MONKSHOOD
MOONSEED
MORNING GLORY
MTN. LAUREL
MUSHROOMS, AMANITA
MYRTLE
NARCISSUS
NETTLES
NIGHTSHADES: (DEADLY, BLACK, GARDEN, WOODY, BITTERSWEET,
EGGPLANT, JERUSALEM CHERRY)
OAK
OLEANDER
OXALIS
PARSLEY
PEACE LILY
PERIWINKLE
PHILODENDRONS: (SPLIT LEAF, SWISS CHEESE, HEART-LEAF)
PIGWEED
POINCIANA
POINSETTIA
POISON IVY
POISON HEMLOCK
POISON OAK: (WESTERN & EASTERN)
POKEWEED
POTATO SHOOTS
POTHOS
PRIVET
PYRACANTHA
RAIN TREE
RANUNCULUS, BUTTERCUP
RAPE
RATTLEBOX, CROTALARIA
RED MAPLE
RED SAGE (LANTANA)
RHUBARB LEAVES
RHODODENDRONS
ROSARY PEA SEEDS
SAND BOX TREE
SKUNK CABBAGE
SORREL (DOCK)
SNOW DROP
SPURGES: (PENCIL TREE, SNOW-ON-MTN, CANDELABRA, CROWN OF THORNS)
STAR OF BETHLEHEM
SWEET PEA
SWISS CHEESE PLANT (MONSTERA)
TANSY RAGWORT
TOBACCO
UMBRELLA PLANT
VETCH: HAIRY/COMMON
VIRGINIA CREEPER
WATTLE
WEEPING FIG
WHITE CEDAR, CHINA BERRY
WISTERIA
YEWS
YELLOW JASMINE

...I hope you're still here and read through the list.

I know that as I typed it, I was reminded of many very common
plants that I had forgotten were unsafe for my flock.

Again for Graham, I applaud you for being concerned about the
safety of your flock and hope you can come up with a workable
solution for your chickens.

Visit us now for more great chicken keeping advice...

http://www.chickenkeepingsecrets.com/blog/

Interesting list, for sure, but I'm a bit confused..... Tomatoes and peppers are both members of the deadly nightshade family and are listed elsewhere as good treats, presumably the fruit and not the plants, since the plants are poisonous to people, but not the fruit. Potatoes, also nightshades, are listed as not desirable for chickens to eat. And I fed my chickens cilantro three days ago with no ill effects (beginners' luck???). Perhaps it would be helpful to specify good vs bad plants with detail to indicate plants or fruits.
What a great group !!

 

[lono24]

I have lost 3 chickens in less than a month, that's why I was checking the list. I have several of these plants in their area, I think the 2 I worry about the most are: 4 O'clocks & Castor bean sprouts. I had a Castor bean tree in there a while ago, but it died & I removed it. I pull up any sprouts, but it's a big yard, & I may not get them all. Also, the 4 O'clocks drop large black seeds, I wonder if they eat them? I have had chickens in there for 6 years, with no problems until now. If anyone can give me info, I would appreciate it!

 

[Trevorusn]

Think we just lost our girl Ms. Masie to Bleeding Hearts Friday night. We free range ours and she never came to the coop Friday night, and looking in the yard today I noticed most of a small Bleeding Heart bush gone, and she usually dug around there. Don't ever assume they won't go after something because they are fat and happy. Our girl was, and with no sign of predation or of her getting stuck somewhere, and the mostly eaten Bleeding Heart in the yard, toxic ingestion sadly seems the case. Thus, not worth a life assuming your chickens will never go for the bad stuff. Losing a chicken with such a unique personality sucks, it definately drives the lesson home.