Hi all! I have quite a lot of this plant growing in my garden now that the crops are dwindling down, I cannot seem to find a proper ID for it and of course can't seem to find my field book! I would like to know if it is safe to give to the chickens for some extra green eats! Thanks!
It looks like common groundsel (Senecio vulgaris). I know that wild birds eat the seeds, and that browsing/grazing animals will eat the plant when it's out in pasture. I also know that, like many other plants which are eaten in seed or plant form, it can cause some problems when consumed in large quantities. Realize that animals out foraging for food take nibbles of lots of things like this, but if you throw a pile of it to the chickens, they'll be eating a lot in one meal. Then again, my ID might be incorrect.
That is absolutely not Senecio vulgare. S. vulgare has more irregular lobes, does not produce new stems in such a fashion at the base of the leaf stems, and is smooth. Here is a good picture of the plant without flowers: http://eol.org/data_objects/13269229
