is feeding lettuce dangerous . . .

[fargosmom]

local feed-store lady told me all lettuce must be chopped up to prevent crop problems - is this true? I've been giving my girls mixed spring greens (like mesclun) for the last few days but I was just giving them essentially a big bowl of salad. I don't want to make them sick! They do have grit and are outside with lots of dirt to peck around in. The only other thing they're eating is grower crumbles, and I treat them with oatmeal and yogurt in the morning.

 

[ams3651]

I give right from the bag of salad greens. they seem to rip it up as they eat it, havent had a problem but I dont do it every day either.

 

[Kim_NC]

I've often tossed whole leaf lettuces to them - damaged ones from the market garden. Probably give it to them about every other day except for the very hottest part of Summer when there isn't any growing here.

They enjoy it immensely. Very entertaining for them, they rip off small bites and gobble it up. I've never had a chicken with crop trouble. They do have pasture areas and free choice grit as well.

edited: spelling

 

[Chickenmaven]

I fed my girls huge PILES of salad this past summer. We grew more than we could eat or give away. That said, I wouldn't feed anyone or anything head lettuce. Just cuz I think it is not a healthful...

 

[fargosmom]

Thank you!! It seemed so counter-intuitive to me that somehow the chickens would block up their crops and die from eating big pieces of lettuce - but I always listen to people who seem to have more experience than myself, and in chickens I have exactly two months of experience

. They seem fine (their crops were empty this morning and everyone seemed perky) and they get so happy to see their dish of salad each morning that I would hate to have to stop giving it to them. By salad I mean mixed greens, with herbs and spinach and stuff - no plain iceberg for these spoiled girls. It's the same mix I give my canary and he likes it too. Since I can't free-range them I figure this is their substitute for picking around the garden. So anyway thanks for putting my mind at ease, and the girls thank you for saving them from a life with no salad!

 

[cmom]

I grow beds of lettuce. My birds get whole heads of lettuce and pick it apart until there is nothing left. I have been giving it to them for years and have seen no adverse affects from it. There are pictures on my BYC Page.

 

[nightshade]

I get a 5 gal bucket of lettuce and veggie scraps from making salads from a local restaurant about once every other week. They love it and in the summer months they get what ever we grow and can't eat.

 

[AK_Button_Mama]

cmom is that a bed of asparagus I think I see?

also i give my chicks everything I cant eat.. like I always seem to make JUST to much spagettii (thats funt o watch chickens eat BTW) left overs and all the salad I can find... I get it from the local store when I can... some times I just buy s bag for them... and its good for them too! as long as they ahve grit should be no problems.

 

[Mahonri]

Yes, it is dangerous... if my chickens see me coming with lettuce, they attack me to get at it.

 

[AK_Button_Mama]

Quote:
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