Honeysuckle? Any Consensus?

[kitchenwdinah]

I have 3 adult Cayugas. They free range and we have a large honeysuckle bush. They peck at it sometimes. Not often, never had a problem. We are about to add four muscovy ducklings to our flock. The current enclosure has a star jasmine growing up the kennel that provides shade. They dont touch it. The extension I am adding will cause the honesuckle vine to grow up the side.

I am getting mixed info online. Honeysuckle is on the toxic list. But, many people have said their ducks love honeysuckle. Should I remove the whole bush so it doesnt grow along their enclosure?

 

[Isaac 0]

First off, are you sure its Honeysuckle?

I have tons of it around my property and my chickens/ducks eat the crap out of it, five years with no problems.

 

[kitchenwdinah]

Pretty sure its honesuckle. I think it is the gold flame variety. Smells like honeysuckle, looks like honesuckle, and is the host plant for hummingbirds moth caterpillars that are all over it in the summer.

Your story is what I am hearing the most. But it worries me because it's always in that list. I like having it next to their house because it helps the smell a bit.

 

[Enigmius]

I want to know this aswell. The variety I just purchased is the "Scentsational" or Lonicera periclymenum. Sometimes it is called European honeysuckle. It is extremely fragrant and non-invasive. I want to plant it next to the duck coop so it will grow over the run and shade my ducks aswell as produce a nice fragrance and food for hummingbirds. The flowers are listed as non-toxic, but the red berries are mildly toxic...so they say. I wonder if this is just toxic to humans and dogs though and not birds. I can't seem to find any info on this regarding chickens and ducks. Also, if something is safe for chickens, is it also safe for ducks?

 

[kitchenwdinah]

I want to know this swell. The variety I just purchased is the "Scentsational" or Lonicera periclymenum. Sometimes it is called European honeysuckle. It is extremely fragrant and non-invasive. I want to plant it next to the duck coop so it will grow over the run and shade my ducks aswell as produce a nice fragrance and food for hummingbirds. The flowers are listed as non-toxic, but the red berries are mildly toxic...so they say. I wonder if this is just toxic to humans and dogs though and not birds. I can't seem to find any info on this regarding chickens and ducks. Also, if something is safe for chickens, is it also safe for ducks?

I ended up having it grow up the coop. My ducks don't eat it. So for us it's been fine. I've seem them nibble at a flower once in awhile but no adverse reactions yet.

 

[Enigmius]

I ended up having it grow up the coop. My ducks don't eat it. So for us it's been fine. I've seem them nibble at a flower once in awhile but no adverse reactions yet.

Ok. I'm just going to go ahead and plant it then. When the berries start to form, I'll just watch them closely. I would think that if this honeysuckle, which is prevalent in European gardens were really that toxic to chickens and or ducks, there would be stuff posted about it everywhere. Europeans love their chickens and gardens! You know what I mean; there would be something substantially written up about it with many testimonial evidence by now. I love your name too, btw. KitchenWDinah, that is hilarious!