PLANTS POISONIOUS TO POULTRY

[Glenda L Heywood]

from

Plants Toxic (poison) to Poultry, Listed by Common Name ... May 31, 2004 ... Raising pure bred chickens, bantams, guinea fowl and quail in Central Texas. ... Plants Toxic to Poultry - by Common Names ...
www.poultryhelp.com/toxic1.html - 20k - Cached - Similar pages


Plants Toxic to Poultry - by Common Names
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Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) NOTE CURED HAY MADE FROM ALFALFA IS NOT TOXIC
American Coffee Berry Tree see Kentucky Coffee Tree
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis L.)
Bouncing Bet (Saponaria officinalis L.)
Bull Nettle (Solanum carolinense L.)
Bracken or Brake Fern (Pteridium aquilinum L.)
Burning Bush see Fireweed
Buttercup (Ranunculus spp.)
Carelessweed see Pigweed
Castor Bean (Ricinus communis L.)
Clover, Alsike & Other Clovers (Trifolium hybridum L. & other species)
Cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium L.)
Creeping Charlie see Ground Ivy
Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii)
Curly Dock (Rumex crispus L.)
Daffodil (Narcissus spp.)
Delphinium (Delphinium spp.)
Devil's Trumpet see Jimson Weed
Dogbane (Apocynum spp.)
Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria (L.) Bernh.)
Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis L.)
English Ivy (Hedera helix L.)
Ergot (Claviceps purpurea (Fr.) Tul.)
Fern, Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum L.)
Fireweed (Kochia scoparia L.)
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea L.)
Ground Ivy (Glecoma hederacea L.)
Hemlock
Poison (Conium maculatum L.)
Water (Cicuta maculata L.)
Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)
Horse Chestnut, Buckeyes (Aesculus hippocastanum L.)
Horse Nettle (Solanum carolinense L.)
Horsetails (Equisetum arvense L. & other species)
Hyacinth (Hyacinth orientalis)
Hydrangea (Hydrangea spp.)
Ivy
English (Hedera helix L.)
Ground (Glecoma hederacea L.)
Poison (Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze)
Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema spp.)
Jamestown Weed see Jimson Weed
Japanese Yew (Taxus cuspidata Sieb. & Zucc.)
Jerusalem Cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum L.)
Jimson Weed (Datura stramonium L.)
Kentucky Coffee Tree (Gymnocladus dioica (L.) K. Koch)
Kentucky Mahagony Tree see Kentucky Coffee Tree
Klamath Weed see St. Johnswort
Lamb's Quarters (Chenopodium album L.)
Lantana (Lantana camara L.)
Larkspur (Delphinium spp.)
Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis)
Lupine (Lupinus spp.)
Mad Apple see Jimson Weed
Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum L.)
Milkweed, Common (Asclepias syriaca L.)
Mint, Purple (Perilla frutescens)
Nicker Tree see Kentucky Coffee Tree
Nightshade (Solanum spp.)
Oleander (Nerium oleander L.)
Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra Willd.)
Philodendron (Philodendron spp.)
Pigweed (Amaranthus spp.)
Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum L.)
Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze)
Poke (Phytolacca americana L.)
Purple Mint (Perilla frutescens)
Redroot see Pigweed
Rhododendron (Rhododendron spp.)
Rhubarb (Rheum rhaponticum L.)
Squirrelcorn (Dicentra canadensis (Goldie) Walp.) see Dutchman's Breeches
Staggerweed (Dicentra spp.) see Dutchman's Breeches
St. Johnswort (Hypericum perforatum L.)
Stink Weed see Jimson Weed
Stump Tree see Kentucky Coffee Tree
Sudan Grass (Sorghum vulgare var. sudanense Hitchc.)
Summer Cypress see Fireweed
Thorn Apple see Jimson Weed
Tulip (Tulipa spp.)
Water Hemlock (Cicuta maculata L.)
White Snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum Hout.)
Wild Onion (Allium spp.)
Yellow Sage see Lantana
(data from the Veterinary Medicine Library, University of Illi

 

[dukecitychick]

I think if chickens have other choices, they'll stay away from poisonous stuff. But if you dump an armful of buttercups into the run, there might be problems.

I don't know about rhubarb seed-heads, but I know a neighbor of ours had all his pigs die because somebody harvested a bunch of rhubarb and thought it would be nice to feed the leftover leaves to the pigs. So I guess that's the flip side, right? They don't ALWAYS know what's good for them!

In line with the "some parts are poisonous, some parts aren't'" idea, what's up with Brassica oleracea? Kale, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, and kohlrabi are ALL THE SAME SPECIES! But I've seen on different lists that some are OK to give to chickens while others aren't. Obviously different plant parts have been selected for during breeding (leaves, reproductive parts, etc) but are some dangerous and others not? If anyone knows, I'd be curious to hear!

 

[Mahonri]

Wow, no St. John's Wart?

But what if they get depressed?!!

 

[digitS']

So many of these plants make it on a list because of the poisoning of animals grazing of pasture that's under some kind of stress. Flooding, drought, and over-fertilizing can make the most appropriate and useful forage, toxic.

I find it interesting that this thread has posts showing that chickens have eaten things that did, indeed, cause symptoms and even death. With only a limited need to forage because of free-choice commercial feed and because chickens aren't really "grazing" animals, backyard flocks probably aren't too inclined to get such a load of toxic material that it makes them sick.

It doesn't help that we can't ask chickens if eating something gave them a stomach ache. Even if it causes lesions in their mouths and throats, we may not know. And, if they eat the toxic plant whenever they have a chance - we may not realize that it is really interfering with their production and health. Would it surprise us if they didn't have a clue, either??

Caution is called for and, certainly, giving a bored, penned chicken something toxic to peck at is not a good idea.

Steve

 

[lovemychix]

I guess I'm going to be moving my Rhubarb away from the coop. I wouldn't have thought that would be. Tulips.??? Mine just went over and ate mine half off about 4 weeks ago. I wasn't happy. They didn't die.

 

[MoodyChicken]

Lily of the Valley, nearly killed four of my babies last year!

In case of plant poisoning, mix whole milk and electrolytes and fill the bird's crop. The milk flushes the system, and the electrolytes help dillute already absorbed poision. Physical stimulus is great for comatose birds, and restraint is necessary for birds suffering from convulsions.

 

[MoodyChicken]

Quote:
Not every part of the plant is posionous. Tulips are a bulb, yes? The bulb is the poisonous part, usually.

 

[Eric in NC]

Clover and wild onion? Hmm...

 

[giasmom]

I see on alot of threads that people feed clover to their chickens. What kind of clover is poisonous ? Like regular yard clover ?

 

[mythkat]

I'm confused. My hens forage in clover and alfalfa and seem to be fine. I kept this article for reference and it says that clover and alfalfa are really good for the birds.

http://www.rps.psu.edu/0305/poultry.html

Has anyone had any problems when they pastured their birds in clover or alfalfa?