Help! Can last years garden hurt my chickens?

[TSP]

I don’t know about potatoes but a couple of years ago I had four eggplant plants that started in our greenhouse in the spring and by September, were 4 1/2 or 5 feet tall and very bushy. I had them up where the chooks couldn’t get to them knowing they were nightshade. A combination of late summer storm and me not watering them since they had finished fruiting made the pots light enough for them to blow over in the wind. I came home from work and found all the pots down and essentially stripped of leaves. The birds had eaten them to the stems. The next day, I found 2 dead in the coop. I don’t know if they ate the most, were sick/weak/more susceptible or what as none of the others showed any ill effects. I keep mine out of potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants now, mainly because I don’t have any explanation for the two deaths. It may have been something entirely unrelated, but otherwise healthy 8 or 9 month old laying pullets shouldn’t just drop dead.

 

[Mrs. K]

buggers - they shouldn't drop dead, but sometimes they do. I hate it when it happens, and understand your take on this.

 

[Peppercorngal]

I certainly don't see anything obvious that your chickens can get into that would make them sick or kill them. Pecking ashes won't hurt them, they probably will do a little dust bathing in ashes! It takes more than a peck or two of something toxic to hurt them. They look so happy, I'd not worry at this point. I let my chickens out into my garden just this morning. They are loving it as well! One hen got lost in the mint!

 

[chaddican]

I don’t know about potatoes but a couple of years ago I had four eggplant plants that started in our greenhouse in the spring and by September, were 4 1/2 or 5 feet tall and very bushy. I had them up where the chooks couldn’t get to them knowing they were nightshade. A combination of late summer storm and me not watering them since they had finished fruiting made the pots light enough for them to blow over in the wind. I came home from work and found all the pots down and essentially stripped of leaves. The birds had eaten them to the stems. The next day, I found 2 dead in the coop. I don’t know if they ate the most, were sick/weak/more susceptible or what as none of the others showed any ill effects. I keep mine out of potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants now, mainly because I don’t have any explanation for the two deaths. It may have been something entirely unrelated, but otherwise healthy 8 or 9 month old laying pullets shouldn’t just drop dead.

I'm so sorry to hear that. I took one of my girls to the vet today, she seemed to be dying (she has pneumonia so starting tomorrow I have to give my first injection) to a chicken). I asked him about the garden. He said the dead, rotten, frozen potatoes are sometimes the worst, they see it with cattle and sheep so he told me NOT to let them in that area. Unfortunately they've been in for a few weeks now Starting tomorrow I need to keep them locked in their 10x20 run until I set them up to have fun elsewhere. Thank you for your response.

 

[chaddican]

I certainly don't see anything obvious that your chickens can get into that would make them sick or kill them. Pecking ashes won't hurt them, they probably will do a little dust bathing in ashes! It takes more than a peck or two of something toxic to hurt them. They look so happy, I'd not worry at this point. I let my chickens out into my garden just this morning. They are loving it as well! One hen got lost in the mint!

View attachment 2038527

View attachment 2038528

Thank you, your hens look like they're having fun. I took one to the vet today, she somehow has pneumonia. While there I asked about the garden. He said the frozen, rotten, dead potatoes are sometimes worse, he sees it with cattle and sheep over winters, he told me not to let them in the area anymore. I hope damage hasn't already been done since I've been letting them in the past few weeks

 

[chaddican]

Thank you so much, they will be very happy to hear that!

I took one to the vet today, she was struggling to breathe (pneumonia somehow so starting tomorrow I have to give an injection for the first time???). I asked the vet about the garden, he said rotten potatoes in winter/summer are worse than the green on a potato growing or picked; he sees it with cows and sheep. He told me not to let them roam in the garden anymore. I've been letting them for the last few weeks so I hope the damage hasn't already been done.
Update: she died an hour after getting her home; I guess I'll save the four injections he sent home with me in case I need them for another one; there was one making a honking sound this afternoon though she acted like nothing was wrong.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Update: she died an hour after getting her home; I guess I'll save the four injections he sent home with me in case I need them for another one; there was one making a honking sound this afternoon though she acted like nothing was wrong.

Sorry about the bird you lost. Hard to say if their time in the garden was the cause or a coincidental timing thing.

I don't grow potatoes so can't weigh in on potatoes. But for other veggies, yes I do worry about what was grown in the garden, and even what's in the compost, so I don't compost any fruit/veggies that I wouldn't want the chickens eating. Not that I allow the chickens into the garden anyhow, but this is more on the off chance that they sneak in.

I have a chicken safe mini garden bed behind the run with carrot greens and peas, and the chickens are allowed to snack off of that.