HELP!!! how poisonus is rhubard?

[jf1234]

help!

Just found my wellies attacking the rhubard.
had them for 6 weeks and they had never gone near them before today!
(did think chickens tend to know what is good for them.)

it was late in the day, so I feed them their dinner a little early to try and combat any
poision then may have ingested.

any one ideas!

jayne

 

[shellz131]

it depends if they ate the stalk they should be fine if they ate the leaves then I would watch them because that is the part that is poisonous

 

[jf1234]

she ate the leaves STUPID CHICKEN

I am now on chicken watch and have removed all the foliage and stalks from the rhubard

Jayne

 

[Imp]

Deep breath!

This is just an anecdote, but may help you feel better. The first day I had chickens (was given 3 hens), they ate every leaf off the rhubarb. It was early summer, so the leaves were large. There was 2 large plants. So they got a good amount. I was certain my chicken having days were going to last about 1 day.
I was just sick at the idea that I was going to have to tell the original owner that I killed her pets the first day.
There was absolutely no ill effect. They never showed ANY sign of illness, and lived a long time afterwards.

Good luck

Imp

 

[Amyable]

My flock has been picking at my rhubarb's leaves all summer. Nobody keeled over. At first I was worried but they are all just fine.

 

[jf1234]

just been reading info from the web, how a number of chucks have enjoyed
rhubard leaves and lived to tell the tale.

fingers crossed, they should be alright, still on chicken watch though!

jayne

 

[jf1234]

Sooooo! Rhubard isn't as poisious as once thought - that is too chickens.

It's been several days since the girls attacked the rhubard, and their still here and doing
wonderfully, laying and entertaining.

So glad I don't have to dig up the rhubard plant, makes excellent crumbles and muffins.

A Very much relieved new chicken owner! Phew!!

jayne

 

[silkiechicken]

They will be fine. The "poisonous" part is the oxalic acid in the leaves which is also present in veggies like beet greens, parsley, spinach and other tasty greens we do eat. It's just in a higher concentration. If humans eat too many leaves over a long period of time, it would probably increase your chances of kidney stones, but even if you ate a leaf, you'd probably be fine and not feel anything.

We have a 5-6 foot round rhubarb plant that one year two young turkeys ate ALL of in the spring... they were fine. But then again these turkeys also ate a two foot tall thistle plant and just choked down spine after spine. Not like there wasn't fields of dandelions and soft grass to eat!

To give you an idea on the size of the plant they ate to the stalks...here is me holding one leaf and a flower stalk from the plant the year before.

 

[jf1234]

Wow!

Massive leaves, I am now dreaming of rhubard leaves I hope to grow next year.

thanks for the info, while I tuck in to my rhubard crumble, made because I removed all
the stalks. I do hope it comes back next year.

Wisfully

Jayne

 

[foxinachickenhouse]

Oh, don't worry it will be back. It will always come back...mwahhh ahhh ah ha hah.