Kale and Cabbage on list of toxic plants?

[Imp]

Quote:

I'm a fairly new chicken mom. I was just reviewing the list on Poultryhelp.com and had noticed that both kale and cabbage were listed as toxic plants. My girls are only about 20 weeks, but I've fed them both cabbage and kale on occasion, and have read others here doing the same.

Is there a certain safe threshold for feeding these?

Please don't worry unnecessarily about kale, cabbage, parsley, spinach or any of the myriad of other nutrition "stories" you might hear. It is the natural tendency in people to swing to either extreme when they hear 1 iota of information. There is a lot of information out there, easy to find if you want. It is interesting to research, just be aware of who is presenting the information.
It is often recommended, as a general rule of thumb, to keep treats to no more than 10% of the total diet. And as in most things moderation and variety are good.

Imp- I make salad every night for my chickens and usually alternate between kale, cabbage, and spinach.​

 

[Carrie Lynn]

Again, thanks for the info.

 

[featherz]

Another vote for Kale. I eat a lot of it, and the chickens get it too. They are still fine. Cabbage too..

 

[Hobby Wife]

Would it be okay to give chicks a little bit of kale if its finely chopped?

 

[KelleyRae]

I sometimes give my 2 month old chicks a kale cabbage lettuce mix. They love it. They have a good time tearing up the leaves. I see some of the hens grab a morsel and run off with it to eat. So, since I now am seeing the comments of toxic substance, I will be mindful not to serve it too often.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Would it be okay to give chicks a little bit of kale if its finely chopped?

Yes it is fine to feed them some kale, but I suggest you make sure they also have grit. If the kale is finely chopped it won’t be a problem, but bigger chunks need to be ground up in their gizzard. They need grit (little bits of rock) in their gizzard to help grind it up.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I sometimes give my 2 month old chicks a kale cabbage lettuce mix. They love it. They have a good time tearing up the leaves. I see some of the hens grab a morsel and run off with it to eat. So, since I now am seeing the comments of toxic substance, I will be mindful not to serve it too often.

Imp’s posts in this thread make good reading. There are some other good ones too.

Dosage, dosage, dosage. It’s all about dosage. Practically anything you eat contains something that can harm you if you eat enough of it. White potatoes contain a substance that can harm you. You just need to eat 50 or 60 pounds of white potatoes in one sitting and you could have a problem from getting too much of that substance. I don’t think I could eat five pounds of potatoes, let alone 50. Chickens can’t eat enough white potatoes to harm themselves either. Their crop just isn’t that big.

Kale is a member of the cabbage family. It is possible to have thyroid problems by eating too much in that family. A woman did have thyroid problems a few years back. She ate a few pounds of a Chinese cabbage every day for three weeks and nothing else. It was the only food she had.

A woman died a few years back from drinking too much water in some water-drinking contest.

Just make sure the kale, cabbage, or any other treats are not a major portion of their diet and they will be fine.

 

[KelleyRae]

Good advise on practical matters. Another food I would like to give my chickens is scratch, for a treat. Is 2 months old to soon for whole grains? I always have grit available for them. Their main food is chick starter/grower crumbles.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If a broody hen were raising them and whole grains were available, she would have them eating whole grains. In moderation whole grains will be fine.

It is also a great chance to train them. Carry it in the same container and shake it before you feed it to them. Maybe give a call like “Here chicky, chick”. Before too long they should come running to you anytime they hear you shake that container, call them, or probably just when you are carrying that container. It can be very useful to be able to get them back in the run if they are out roaming.

 

[KelleyRae]

If a broody hen were raising them and whole grains were available, she would have them eating whole grains. In moderation whole grains will be fine.

It is also a great chance to train them. Carry it in the same container and shake it before you feed it to them. Maybe give a call like “Here chicky, chick”. Before too long they should come running to you anytime they hear you shake that container, call them, or probably just when you are carrying that container. It can be very useful to be able to get them back in the run if they are out roaming.

That is an awesome way to call the chicks! I like it!

The day I got my chicks at a private home, she had all these chickens trying to get into the garage when she opened it. She grabbed a handful of scratch and threw it in the bushes and away all the chickens flew! It was very funny.