grapes

[mika4me]

I read somewhere here that the seeds in grapes are toxic to chickens. The back of my property is a hedgerow of wild berries and grapes, totally tangled and not at all easy to remove. They're probably 30+ years old and enormous. I'd like to let my chickens free range back there but don't want to give them access to something toxic. I have noticed that the songbirds eat enormous quantities of these grapes (all of them in fact) and don't seem to keel over. Any opinion? The grapes do have seeds...

 

[CMV]

Here's a comprehensive list of all plants toxic to chickens.

http://www.poultryhelp.com/toxicplants.html

I have not heard that grape seeds are toxic to birds. I know a lot of folks feed grapes regularly to their birds, but maybe they are using the seedless variety. My birds don't get grapes. Those are for me.

Good luck.

 

[mika4me]

I don't see grapes on that list. Yay!! What an awesome resource, thanks for posting!!!

 

[NeeleysAVLChicks]

I have several old grape vine varietals (all seeded) on our property, in fact, one set of vines uses the top of the chicken run as a trellis. The leaves provide additional shade for the girls in the spring and summer, they LOVE to eat the leaves and will rush out in the morning to a specific corner where most of the grapes fall. I haven't lost a chicken to seeded grapes yet.

HOWEVER, I definitely slowed down on allowing the chickens to eat the grapes as some crop problems started showing up. I think in moderation its fine, but too many were causing crop obstructions, I guess because they couldn't grind the seeds down as quickly. Just my experience....

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

Seeds of many fruit are toxic but the quantity that wound need to be consumed is huge. They would never eat enough grapes to worry about the seeds.

I don't feed grapes but they make great little capsuls to contain wormer or antibiotic.

 

[dsc6]

haha, I found some bunches of those tiny champagne grapes and hand fed them to the girls just holding onto the main stem. It was hysterical to watch. Just the prefect size to swallow whole and boy did they go crazy!! Some of THEIR treats are for MY enjoyment, KWIM??

 

[RIBill]

My 6 chickens ate about 10 lbs. of grapes over about a week and a half. The only problem they had was they were so greedy, they often were eating them before I finished dropping them in. As such, they would end up wearing a grape or two.

 

[woodmort]

I have a row of concord grapes that, if the chickens get to them before I do, will not have a single grape below 3 feet from the ground. Haven't lost a bird to them though. If grape seeds were toxic to birds then there wouldn't be any more grapes since birds are a primary disperser of grapes. BTW, apple seeds have cyanide in them but you'd have to eat a pound or more of straight seeds to do any harm--my chickens will eat a whole apple, seeds and all.

 

[maizey]

Good to know, since the grapes publix had on sale this week are nasty! They looked so good, but i guess the chickens will get them

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Good info! I've been feeding the seedless grapes to mine but chopping them up first so's not to cause obstructions.