Is loropetalum (witch hazel) safe in the yard for chickens?

[susanah]

want to plant some as a hedge but don't know if this is safe?

 

[chfite]

I have a loropetalum hedge about 15 feet long in my yard. The chickens hang out there quite a lot during the heat of the day.
They have to share it with the dog who hangs out there in the heat of the day, too.

It provides them with shelter. It is often the shelter of choice when the hawks come calling.

They ate a bunch of leaves off of it at first, but quit once there was a tunnel underneath the length of the hedge. I guess they simply created a shelter and let it go at that.

It was an existing 4 foot tall hedge before they came along, so I don't know if they would kill it before it could grow from small transplants.

Chris