I thought chickens and ducks liked dandelions

[Ducksandchickens]

Our lawn is almost covered in dandelions, yellow and old. My family tries to do everything naturally so we didn’t spray. Also we didn’t want any of that spray soaking in the ground into our water (we have well water) and we also let them grow because we knew that chickens and ducks usually love to eat dandelions. Well so far they ignore them and we aren’t sure why.

Last year our chickens ate them all (well most of them. We have over three acres for our backyard) and this year we have ducks and chickens and a LOT of dandelions!

 

[rosemarythyme]

My chickens won't touch them either. I've even tried tearing up the leaves and putting them in their run, but they have no interest.

 

[LittleMissCountry]

Mine will eat them if I put them in a suet box in their run, but they don't eat them when they free range.

 

[Beer can]

Mine love dandelions, good for them too, about as healthy as kale. I'll eat them sometimes but I don't like them cooked. Not bad shredded and mixed into a salad. I don't bother with them now that I grow a ton of kale, kale tastes much better

 

[Kiki]

Mine love the flowers and the greens.

 

[RodNTN]

My chickens completely ignore them

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I don't free range anymore (got tired of ripped up yard and chicken poop between the toes when outside barefoot), but I will pick dandelions out of the yard and throw them into the run and the girls enjoy them...especially the leaves.

 

[jp57]

Dandelion flowers get breaded and fried in my house. The kids love them. Leaves can be used as a salad green The roots have a lot of uses to. They are not a weed. The colonists brought them here from Europe because they are very good for you.

https://www.offthegridnews.com/food/8-uses-for-dandelions/

 

[Duckstail]

Why don't you use the dateline's for your own its medical properties...


These lawn and feed companies have you thinking it's a weed it's a weed that provides more than just that... do some research you'll be surprised!!


Fyi well comes from hydroduck (definitely not spelled that way) which is like a 100-500 feet deep underground any chemical you pour on the ground will never get into the well so don't ever worry about that!

 

[zibercat]

You can use vinegar with dish soap (1 gl of vinegar. 1 pump/tb spoon of dish soap) and spray the weeds away. Be careful, vinegar will all it touches. You man need to spray again in about a week or two. That is if your chickens don't eat weeds.