Is lichen ok for chickens to eat?

[EarthMuffinTop]

I put the wooden roof off of my son’s old playhouse on the ground for my girls to run under while they are out free ranging. The chickens love running up and down the a-frame and eating the lichen off of it. Any reason I should not let them eat this? They seem to really love it. TIA

 

[azygous]

Lichens are a combo of plant and fungus. It depends on which fungus is a component of the lichen growing on those boards whether it's toxic, but most lichen are not. If the lichen is yellow, chickens should be kept away from it, as the toxic acid makes it yellow.

Most likely the lichen your chickens are enthusiastically consuming is safe. Chickens don't usually consume a toxic plant when they are well fed. But their behavior will let you know if they shouldn't be eating the lichen. They will start being unbalanced and you could see diarrhea.

 

[EarthMuffinTop]

Lichens are a combo of plant and fungus. It depends on which fungus is a component of the lichen growing on those boards whether it's toxic, but most lichen are not. If the lichen is yellow, chickens should be kept away from it, as the toxic acid makes it yellow.

Most likely the lichen your chickens are enthusiastically consuming is safe. Chickens don't usually consume a toxic plant when they are well fed. But their behavior will let you know if they shouldn't be eating the lichen. They will start being unbalanced and you could see diarrhea.

Thank you! It’s the grey/green one and they have a blast pecking it off and parading it around before they eat it! Poops all seem normal so far so I was assuming that it was ok.