Iceberg Lettuce HELP!

[Hen_House04]

Help! I grabbed a head of iceberg lettuce and gave the chickens a few leaves and let them peck at it. They ate less than a half of the whole head. I’m reading now that it is toxic to them. What are signs I should look out for?! I’d hate if something happened to them. I didn’t know!!! Please help!

 

[sourland]

It has high water and low nutritional value, but is actually not 'toxic'.

 

[Stravager]

Help! I grabbed a head of iceberg lettuce and gave the chickens a few leaves and let them peck at it. They ate less than a half of the whole head. I’m reading now that it is toxic to them. What are signs I should look out for?! I’d hate if something happened to them. I didn’t know!!! Please help!

I've never heard that iceberg lettuce is toxic to chickens. It can give them diarrhea in large amounts but it's mostly water with little nutritional value. Your chickens should be just fine.

 

[Stravager]

My thought was the same as all the previous posters.

This link describes the alleged method of toxicity..

https://animal-world.com/can-chickens-eat-lettuce/

Many more toxic things than that are growing in my yard/pasture.

Small amounts of iceberg lettuce are not an issue IMO and experience and I would not currently be concerned at all.

I’m reading now that it is toxic to them.

I'm just going to put in here a friendly reminder to doublecheck the sources of any information you read about a specific product, method, etc. for bias and misinformation.
For example, this Animal World.com site appears very sketchy. They don't have an "about us" page, or any typical information displayed at the bottom other than (© 2024 Animal World • All Rights Reserved), and don't cite scientific sources. Aside from their many, many articles, and a "contact us" page which is just a questionnaire box with no actual contact information their site is essentially blank.
The linked page is marked as "Approved by Dr. Paola Cuevas" but has no information on it that I can see as to the legitimacy of this Dr. (through further research this Dr. specializes in dolphins according to their LinkedIn page???) or of the site itself. The page repeats information about 3 times and then continues on to say that its sources are other similar sites (aside from the Purina.com one) with, again, no valid scientific citations that I could see.
Anyone can write an article and make claims based on hearsay. If they don't have proper research to back it up, or the article has an incoherent line of thought with massive grammar/spelling errors throughout, then it's likely not a legitimate source.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Help! I grabbed a head of iceberg lettuce and gave the chickens a few leaves and let them peck at it. They ate less than a half of the whole head. I’m reading now that it is toxic to them. What are signs I should look out for?! I’d hate if something happened to them. I didn’t know!!! Please help!

I give it to my birds as a snack during the summer occasionally. They eat the entire head of lettuce with no ill effects.

 

[theoldchick]

They'll be fine.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Help! I grabbed a head of iceberg lettuce and gave the chickens a few leaves and let them peck at it. They ate less than a half of the whole head. I’m reading now that it is toxic to them. What are signs I should look out for?! I’d hate if something happened to them. I didn’t know!!! Please help!

My thought was the same as all the previous posters.

This link describes the alleged method of toxicity..

https://animal-world.com/can-chickens-eat-lettuce/

Many more toxic things than that are growing in my yard/pasture.

Small amounts of iceberg lettuce are not an issue IMO and experience and I would not currently be concerned at all.

 

[Brooks_]

It's not toxic, if it were we humans wouldn't be putting it in our bodies

Only disagreeing to the point that some toxins are species specific. Fully agree that lettuce is fine though.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

then it's likely not a legitimate source.

Hence the phrase "alleged method of toxicity" in my original post.

It's incredible how much misinformation I see passed around here daily (and have even done it myself before learning new information).. but do *usually* (remember to and appreciate the reminder to) encourage folks to use their own best judgement or discernment and do their own follow up research..

I also included my own personal anecdotal experience with opposite results rather than simply agreeing with their claim.

 

[Lillith37]

One of my hens’ favourite foods is lettuce, any kind of lettuce but especially the crispy green kinds like iceberg. She has always been fine.