Garden clean up

[CLBell]

I am cleaning up my garden to turn the space over to my chickens and was wondering about things that will sprout this spring like tomatoes and tomatillos And if they are okay for my chickens to eat?

 

[PirateGirl]

Honestly, chickens will likely eat the sprouts/greens before they get to the point of producing fruit. Here is a pretty good list of things that are and aren't chicken safe.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...—the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens.47738/

 

[Peppercorngal]

Tomatoes, the fruit are ok for chickens, but the tomato plant is not. Some folks think that chickens are smart enough not to eat what is bad for them, but it ain't true! I wouldn't let them range where toxic plants may be growing. Good Luck!

 

[PirateGirl]

@Peppercorngal that is a really good point... the leafy greens from a potato plant are not good for chickens either. I'm sure there are more.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I am cleaning up my garden to turn the space over to my chickens and was wondering about things that will sprout this spring like tomatoes and tomatillos And if they are okay for my chickens to eat?

Hi, welcome to the forum! Glad you joined.

You can get a lot of differing opinions on a topic like this. To me, it's a matter of dosage. For things like that one bite won't kill them. Practically anything you or they eat contains something that in the right quantity can harm you or them. That includes foods that are considered nutritious for us and good treats for them. Cabbage is one example. Cabbage is often listed on here as a good boredom buster, hang a head of cabbage in their coop in winter to keep them occupied. If you or they eat enough cabbage the thyroid can be damaged. But your stomach isn't that big, their crop isn't that big. You can't eat enough at a sitting to cause harm unless your thyroid is in pretty bad shape to start with. In that situation, it's a good idea to keep any treats to 10% or less of their total diet anyway. Their chicken feed should be most of their diet so they get a balanced diet. In your garden they should not be bored at all.

I don't know where you are located so I don't have a clue how established any of these plants may be. Tomatoes do contain something that is harmful in the right dosage. Tomato plant leaves and stems taste bitter to chickens. Typically chickens will take a bite and decide they can find something better to eat. If that tomato plant is the only green thing available to them they might at enough to cause harm, but even then most won't. Feral or free range chickens regularly come into contact with poisonous plants and generally don't eat enough to get sick or die.

If your garden is totally bare and stuff starts sprouting they will almost certainly eat the sprouts. That includes tomato sprouts. I have trouble imagining a garden where enough of those sprouts are tomato sprouts to where it would harm them in any way.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Tomato, pepper and eggplant leaves As members of the nightshade family, they contain Solanine, just like potatoes, so you should try to keep your chickens off your plants. They can, however, eat tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Avocadoes – The pits and skins contain the toxin Persin, which can be fatal to chickens.Mar 19, 2014
this is from a google search.

I also don't like getting them used to the fact that all tomato plants are free game. As they have good memories. And my own for kitchen use on a 'well trained' chicken are at risk.

Sounds like you are already getting good advice.

 

[CLBell]

Thanks everyone! This is great Finding a place to talk to experienced chicken owners. I’m just letting my garden go falow this year (For unforeseen reasons) and from experience gardening there are always sprouts from dropped fruits and vegetables The following spring. I know about nightshade being harmful to chickens but didn’t know how harmful a few wayward tomato, tomatillo, etc... sprouts would be for my girls. from what I gather here there shouldn’t be a problem. I plan to tr to get to them before the girls but I’m sure I’ll miss a few.

 

[CLBell]

i read everywhere that tomatoes are ok to feed chickens. What about tomatillos?