Plants that could make my babies sick?

[melissastraka]

I have been letting my babies roam free during the day and i have lost 2 chickens, dead in the pen, nothing!!! One was a RIR and the other was a BR (my favorite one) Is there certain plants that could have done this to them???

 

[#1California Chick]

Welcome to BYC!!

What kind of chickens do you have?? How old?? Where do you live??

I don't think that most kinds of plants are harmful to chickens. Maybe others will weigh in here.

However, what about other poisons in your yard?? Rat poison?? Snail poison??

Good Luck!!

 

[digitS']

Here's a list of toxic plants from the University of California. The list is for plants known to be toxic (mildly or otherwise) to humans. But, as the poison control people say, "If a plant is known to be hazardous to humans, it will probably be toxic for animals as well."

If you look at the list and still have questions, go to the bottom and click, "Safe Plants." All of these plants (toxic or not) are more likely to be found in our yards. For more about wild plants, there are other lists.

Steve

 

[melissastraka]

I have Orps, RIR, and BR that roam. The others are still too young. I am not sure on the age since we got them when they were already laying. I live in Washington on the coast. I dont think i have anything that should be harmful...i have 6 kids so we dont use anything on our lawn or grass since it could be harmful to the kids, that is why i am at a loss. Someone said it could be a weasle and that they suck the blood out of their legs and that can kill them! Any ideas?

 

[TXmom]

I also worry about toxic plants in my yard. I have looked at that list and other lists, but honestly, I don't know much about plants. When I bought this land, it was a wild field, and it still pretty much is. There are probably hundreds of different plants and weeds growing out there, and I don't know what any of them are called. I sure hope my babies don't get sick from eating weeds here.

 

[gritsar]

I doubt it was a plant that made them sick. There are plenty of poisonous plants on this farm. My chickens are determined to explore every inch of all 80 acres of it. Not one has gotten sick. The only conclusion I can come to from that is that they know what to eat and what to avoid.