Feeding Honeysuckle?

[Randy]

Since honeysuckle is about the only thing green around here this time of year I was wondering if the leaves could be fed to chickens? It would be just as a green treat not thier main food.

 

[Imp]

A quick google search shows a mix of answers, but more say toxic than not. It also depends what kind of honeysuckle it is.

Imp

 

[feathersnuggles]

Honeysuckle vines are beginning to show new leaves right now. But my chickens, when free ranging, show very little interest in eating them. We have lots of common honeysuckle vines along our fences: lonicera periclymenum - the kind that was called woodbine in Shakespeare.

The chickens ate huge LOADS of red honeysuckle berries throughout summer and fall. They are supposed to be poisonous, but apparently not, from first-hand experience. Every honeysuckle berry is gone now - thanks to these chickens. But they won't touch the leaves; I think those must be toxic because my chickens sample the rhododendron leaves instead of honeysuckle leaves. Right now I see them eating chickweed, fennel, parsley, grass, nettles, roots and seeds from everything that has made it through the freezing temps.

If you need to, you can sprout almost anything and give it to them. It's great nutrition and substitutes for the greens they can't get to right now. Sunflower seeds, wheat, oats, flax, mung beans, peas, lentils, as well as many other seeds. Just make sure the seeds haven't been sprayed with fungicides, etc.