Poison Ivy??

[Hen-rietta]

Will, and is it okay for chickens to eat poison ivy? I know it says "Poison" right in the title but still... Here is the problem. I have a patch of poison ivy I've been trying to get rid of for years. Over the last several years (long enough for the poisons to have been washed away), I gave up on any chemical treatment as it wasn't working. As I was watching them tonight, and realized just how much grass they have torn up, it dawned on me that they might be the only thing that can permanently rid me of my poison ivy as they will dig up the roots and everything. This specific patch of my yard also has a lot of vines I've been trying to get rid of. Thoughts?

 

[abserbean]

from what I understand, it is fine for them to eat poison ivy and oak, doesn't affect the. The problem comes when they have the oil on their feathers and transfer it to their human "family" Some people don't really handle their birds, so no problem. My kids carry our hens around like cats, wouldn't work for us.

 

[dheltzel]

I doubt the chickens will kill the poison ivy, but it won't hurt them. Wild birds love the berries, that's how it spreads. Birds seem to not get an allergic reaction from the oil, but they can certainly transfer it to people, so be careful of that.

That said, I have killed lots of this over the years. Roundup, applied several time each season will devastate poison ivy.

 

[Hen-rietta]

Thank you! We do handle them but not quite as often as you. I am thinking of maybe making this a run that I let them in maybe for a while. Then let them get clean from the oils and handle them so they stay used to us and go back & forth. Once the roots are cleaned out, I can maintain it.

 

[Bethel3330]

I was wondering this myself. My chickens' new favorite hangout has poison ivy here and there. They don't seem to be eating it, just scratching around and laying near it.

 

[Hen-rietta]

Bethel3330 -Do they scratch around it enough to dig up the roots? I guess it's okay if they don't eat it as long as they scratch up the roots enough for me to take a rake or fork or something to it to get it up easily. I don't want to be wading around in the stuff. I may not be allergic (knocking on wood...) but my husband is very allergic. The last thing I need is for him to be getting poison ivy again. He'd never forgive me.

If anyone has any other ideas for ridding my yard of poison ivy, I'd be just as happy to use those as my chickens. Like the post above said, I can't really handle them much if they are running around in the ivy because of the oils. I know goats will eat it but my husband cut me off at chickens. Besides, goats and I don't get along. ;-)

 

[Bethel3330]

They seem to be. It's just beyond our yard, in an area that my husband keeps cleared with a weedeater. It's tick heaven so I'm all for them doing their thing. Lol
We had an old bit of fencing in a loose roll that now has some stuff growing through it. It's about 2 1/2 feet in diameter. I call it their Hidey-Hole and I completely expect eggs to appear in it. It's where they like to take midday naps when they're out all day on the weekends. ;-)

 

[RonP]

Poison ivy won't hurt them one bit.
As others mentioned, the oil on their feathers probably won't do you any good though.

 

[TexasHomestead]

To kill poison ivy, oak and sumac, get a broad leaf poison and follow the direction. you can get it at most any farm and home supply. Works wonders!

 

[KeepOnClucking]

I know my chickens eat poison oak all the time, and have been for a long time. It doesn't seem to have any ill effects.