Creeping Myrtle in my chicken run

[BaronEinarr]

I've read that creeping myrtle can be bad for my chickens. The area that I wanted to use for my run had quite a bit of creeping myrtle in it. Has anyone had any issues with it? If I tear it out, are the roots I miss going to be a problem as well?

 

[sierranomad]

I'm facing the same situation. But I'm new to this too, so don't have a definitive answer. JUst telling you what I'm doing and why. I read on one site that you should avoid putting your run where creeping myrtle is growing. I can move my run *a little* but not completly away from the creeping myrtle. I'm going to assume that roots are poisonous too and do my best to get as much as I can. Then I'm going to cover the area w/ weedblock and keep a close eye out for those little buggers popping up.

I may spray w/ round-up first.

The site I looked at gave 10 or so plants poisenous to chickens, and listed the effect of ingesting it. Creeping myrtle was the most serious, with death being a possible result.

Jon

 

[TalkALittle]

 

[TalkALittle]

I've read that creeping myrtle can be bad for my chickens. The area that I wanted to use for my run had quite a bit of creeping myrtle in it. Has anyone had any issues with it? If I tear it out, are the roots I miss going to be a problem as well?

There was creeping myrtle (vinca minor) in my front yard when I moved into my house about 20 years ago. It was creeping into the lawn. I pulled it out but it kept coming back. I still have a tiny spot where I just can't seem to get rid of it all. I haven't sprayed it with anything, just pulled and dug it out. Even the littlest bit of root will grow back. In the woods by the yard waste heap where I dumped the plants I ripped out is a lovely large patch of vinca minor now growing there. It is a self-rooting plant and will root where ever the stem touches the ground. I can't speak to the poisonous qualities of the roots, but I can say it is a vigorous, invasive plant and you will likely have some regrowth of the plant if you don't get all the roots out.

Out of curiosity, I did some digging on the toxicity of vinca minor. Who knew that quite a bit of research has been done on its cytotoxicity? Apparently the alkaloids it contains have promise in treating Alzheimer's and other conditions. The Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research published the result of a study that investigated the chemical properties of cultivated vinca minor. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3813059/ The study only examined the aerial parts of the plant (leaves, stems, flowers) and among lots of other findings discovered that the level of alkaloids in the plant (the chemicals that are responsible for its toxicity) increased as the level of nitrogen in the fertilizer increased. The study didn't mention anything about alkaloids found in the roots but some of the other alkaloids I that I read elsewhere as being found in vinca minor (but not specified to be in the roots) are known to be found in the roots of other plants. Therefore, I wouldn't rule out the roots of vinca minor as being toxic as well without further reading.

My thoughts, from reading this study and my personal experience with the plant, is that you could probably pull most of it out but that some will very likely grow back. If the soil it is growing in is rich in nitrogen (from chicken droppings) the stuff that grows back will be more potent with a higher level of toxins (alkaloids).

 

[TalkALittle]

I'm facing the same situation. But I'm new to this too, so don't have a definitive answer. JUst telling you what I'm doing and why. I read on one site that you should avoid putting your run where creeping myrtle is growing. I can move my run *a little* but not completly away from the creeping myrtle. I'm going to assume that roots are poisonous too and do my best to get as much as I can. Then I'm going to cover the area w/ weedblock and keep a close eye out for those little buggers popping up.

I may spray w/ round-up first.

The site I looked at gave 10 or so plants poisonous to chickens, and listed the effect of ingesting it. Creeping myrtle was the most serious, with death being a possible result.

Jon

FYI, after I tore it out, my creeping myrtle grew back up from under weedblock and a couple of inches of mulch. I still have it popping up in some places.