Neem oil

[usmcpilot06]

I own a very extensive tree and shrub nursery. I also grow garden veggies. I use neem oil to fight the chewing bugs on my plants.
Now that the chickens are older they free range. They have found my veggie garden. They do not bother the plant but they do a very good job of eating the bugs. They love the cabb and tomatoes, a lot of things in there they can eat.
So my question is, should I stop spraying the neem. oil and let the chickens do the the job instead? I do not know if eating the bugs and worms after spraying the neem oil will harm the chickens.

 

[coach723]

Personally, I would stop the oil and let the chickens take care of it. There are varying opinions in articles about how much it takes to be toxic. Many articles state that it's "nearly" non-toxic to birds, but very toxic to aquatic life. In India the young leaves and flowers are sometimes eaten by people. But when you are talking about concentrates, like the oil, they are much, much stronger and safety is more questionable. In general oils are intended to be used topically for medicinal purposes, not internally. It's also a suspected endocrine disruptor, in humans it's suspected that too much may cause miscarriages, so don't know how much might cause the same kinds of reproductive issues in birds. I would think that the occasional exposure would probably not be a worry, but if it's a regular thing I would be more concerned that it might have some consequences. I'm of the opinion that if it's got 'cidal' qualities (it kills something) then I would limit exposure unless it's needed to treat something.
https://safeforparrots.com/neem/
https://www.communitychickens.com/natural-pest-solutions-neem-oil/