Is lettuce that has bolted and gone milky inside safe for chickens?

[Heradev]

My lettuce bolted! dangit. It happened so fast we didn't get to enjoy any. But the chickens don't seem to mind, I've already given them 5 heads that they gobbled up with glee. So today I chopped a different variety down and white milky stuff was inside. I read that this is called Lactucarium and has "putative sedative and analgesic properties." So I don't want to feed it to the ladies until I know it won't harm them. Anyone encounter this situation before?

 

[Folly's place]

I have no idea, except for that old saying "When in doubt, throw it out". Words to live by!
Mary

 

[Heradev]

I have no idea, except for that old saying "When in doubt, throw it out". Words to live by!
Mary

Definitely good words to follow. If that's what ends up happening, it's quite a shame because then nobody gets to enjoy it...but yeah, I'd rather toss it and learn from it than lose any chickens to it. They are so spoiled anyways.. they get some kind of fresh veggies or other treats every day

 

[whiteboy]

They will still love it. We feed them "some" everyday.

 

[Heradev]

They will still love it. We feed them "some" everyday.

Ah, sadly I've already thrown it away. It wilted very quickly too. Oh well, maybe next time (though I don't plan to let my veggies bolt again, heh.)
Thanks!

 

[whiteboy]

So we plant leaf lettuce instead of head lettuce and then we just trim off what we want for a few months and then let it bolt and pull it up and give it to the chickens. They go crazy for it. For future reference of coarse.

 

[Sonya9]

I don"t think there is anything unhealthy about lettuce that has bolted, it just becomes a little bitter and most people don't like the taste. It is still safe to eat and is used for animal feed.

 

[Folly's place]

It was the part about the 'white milky stuff' that sounded bad to me.
Mary

 

[donddon]

I put mine on the compost pile. The chickens do as they like, no worries.

 

[The Happster]

It was the part about the 'white milky stuff' that sounded bad to me.
Mary

Still thinking it's better to be safe than sorry. Good point.

I think I'd have to see the lettuce to know whether I'd feed that to my birds.