Controlling/preventing buttercup sprouts in foraging areas?

[CabritaChicks]

I witnessed my chickens eat deadly stramonium (a nightshade) and nothing happened.

Devils trumpet! Most beautiful flower, until I realized what it was!
Yep, chickens took more than a couple bites of that too.... as you said, nothing happened. Now; I only have 7 chickens, so I can monitor them closely. But still. their little systems worked it out. Now I keep an eye for it- because it grows like a weed here.

 

[NatJ]

Perhaps covering it with several layers of heavy black plastic? Deny it any sunlight or direct precipitation.

A thick pile of paper or cardboard can also kill plants.

I've had good results killing things with a really thick layer of newspaper, topped with wood chip mulch to keep it from blowing away. Just wood chips are enough to stop new seedlings, but it takes more to stop runners or established root systems, hence the thick layers of newspaper, old school papers, carboard, packing paper, etc-- any paper product handy, spread as one layer after another until it seems good and thick.

Paper or cardboard will rot away after a while which is either bad (you have to replace it) or good (it did its job, and you don't have plastic in your soil forever after, nor do you have to go remove the plastic.)

I have also read of old carpet being used in this way to kill weeds.

 

[CabritaChicks]

Chickens will eat just about anything you give them—if it’s available, they’ll peck at it. While there’s some evidence that they may occasionally self-medicate, the reality is they’re more curious than cautious.

Unfortunately, they can also make poor associations; if they eat something beneficial around the same time they try something that makes them feel unwell, they may avoid the healthy option in the future. They’re not exactly rocket scientists—they're birds, after all, domesticated to some degree and shaped entirely by what we give them access to. What they learn, they learn from what you allow.

I would try and just use a old fashion shovel, dig out what you can. Otherwise it sounds like you will lose some foraging space.

 

[thistlewick]

I have so many buttercups where my chickens free range all day it's a miracle none of them have had this happen. Swathes of yellow carpet my pasture and 'lawn' area.

Are you *sure* its buttercups?

 

[JedJackson]

There are many species of Ranunculus. It would be a good idea to contact a botanist to find out exactly what you have.

I have loads of R. acris and R. repens in my yard, but the chickens won't touch it. However, if it was the only plant they could get ahold of, especially when confined, then they would eat it.

These plants are very difficult to control. Several species have developed a resistance to herbicides. And their spreading roots are very persistent. If you miss even a tiny piece, they will grow back. And they also spread freely by seed.

One interesting thing is that when dried, the poisonous properties disappear. Hay with dried Ranunculus leaves is safe for livestock. So maybe try mowing it to death. Black weed cloth would do the trick for smaller areas, too. But it's going to be an uphill battle.

 

[Altairsky]

Devils trumpet! Most beautiful flower, until I realized what it was!
Yep, chickens took more than a couple bites of that too.... as you said, nothing happened. Now; I only have 7 chickens, so I can monitor them closely. But still. their little systems worked it out. Now I keep an eye for it- because it grows like a weed here.

I use devil's trumpet as vole poison. It keeps voles at bay and has beautiful flowers. This plant will always have a place in my property.

 

[DonyaQuick]

Are you *sure* its buttercups?

Yes. I have done much investigation prior to this thread. That's why I'm interested in prevention/control of the plants, not diagnosis. The third, most recent situation was rather conclusive.

• A mangled Ranunculus sp plant was the only vegetation available to the bird capable of causing the observed symptoms (clover, grass, wintercress, and chickweed are the only others reachable). Those symptoms were...
• Significant inflammation of the crop despite being empty.
• Extreme soreness and some discoloration of the inside of the mouth.
• Muscle weakness eventually leading to temporary paralysis and difficulty breathing.
• While isolated in my care, passing a small compacted ball of ground up but only partially digested plant matter, indicating that plants must have been consumed through the HWC since I did not feed any greens within any reasonable time frame that would explain this.
• Passing significant quantities of mucous in the following couple of days, indicating serious digestive irritation.

Unfortunately, they can also make poor associations; if they eat something beneficial around the same time they try something that makes them feel unwell, they may avoid the healthy option in the future.

That's my second case to a T: a rooster who mostly refuses to forage after his poisoning event. He also won't eat anything from the hill he was foraging on leading up to that event.

These plants are very difficult to control. Several species have developed a resistance to herbicides. And their spreading roots are very persistent. If you miss even a tiny piece, they will grow back. And they also spread freely by seed.

The seeds are what I'm mainly dealing with right now I think. That's the one part that isn't toxic so songbirds eat and distribute them. It's why I was wondering if I could establish something else to out-compete them or stop them sprouting.

Otherwise, I've been very aggressive in the past year with a pronged tool (I forget the name) that grabs out even quite deep taproots. It's also been very good for controlling burdock and other nuissance things. The places I'm finding buttercups cropping up this year are both very random and not where the extensive patches were previously that I demolished. The one that sprouted right up against my run is at least 20ft away from where any had been growing in previous years. I don't mind a bit of whack-a-mole where the chickens rarely or never go, but if nothing else I definitely need to stop it sprouting right next to my runs in the future.

I've had good results killing things with a really thick layer of newspaper, topped with wood chip mulch to keep it from blowing away. Just wood chips are enough to stop new seedlings, but it takes more to stop runners or established root systems, hence the thick layers of newspaper, old school papers, carboard, packing paper, etc-- any paper product handy, spread as one layer after another until it seems good and thick.

My area might be too wet to do cardboard; it would probably get soggy enough quickly enough that stuff would just push through it easily. It's something I might try for more rain-protected areas though since I like the idea of something that just decomposes on its own in a pretty safe way. Did you have any trouble with the cardboard attracing rodents or do they leave it alone if it's covered with other stuff?

 

[NatJ]

My area might be too wet to do cardboard; it would probably get soggy enough quickly enough that stuff would just push through it easily. It's something I might try for more rain-protected areas though since I like the idea of something that just decomposes on its own in a pretty safe way. Did you have any trouble with the cardboard attracing rodents or do they leave it alone if it's covered with other stuff?

I don't remember noticing rodent issues. I'm not sure if that means no rodents, or if it means I just didn't notice.

If you try cardboard, I expect one layer would get soggy and useless pretty quickly. But if you use 3 or 4 or more layers, it might be dense enough even after it gets soggy. It will try to blow away every time it dries, so it needs to be held down with something. I've used wood chip mulch, or a layer of dirt, or logs, or tree branches, or rocks, or pots with plants in them, or anything else handy, to hold down cardboard or newspaper when I want weeds smothered.

 

[Penpal]

They may be eating it because it is high in flavenoids.