Poison oak and chicken eggs

[aliciaFarmer]

That's a great idea! I think it works best to spray it on in the morning and let it "cook" in the sun. If we're diligent, supposedly the roots will weaken and finally die off. Crossing my fingers for us both.

 

[Monday's momma]

It would be my concern about touching the chickens after they rubbed against it. Like petting a dog after running through poison ivy.

 

[aliciaFarmer]

It would be my concern about touching the chickens after they rubbed against it. Like petting a dog after running through poison ivy.

I totally agree, especially as a big chicken snuggler. I have a couple who like riding around on my shoulder and one that rubs her head on my cheek. I don't want to deprive them of free ranging but thankfully we have a 600sf run until we can *hopefully* kill it all off.

 

[Tesumph]

I think you just solved a mystery I’d almost forgotten about haha. A couple years ago I was messing with hens and within a couple hours had a nasty rash on my hands and up my arms. I even said “wow this looks like poison ivy.” I knew it wasn’t a weird chicken disease but never connected the dots lol, they just got into some poison ivy, duh.

As for passing on to eggs, I can’t find any info that would point to that and can’t see it being a problem. Reproductive system is largely isolated from digestive system after all, but if you do notice anything be sure to post here. I’m curious.

 

[April’s Zoo]

Roundup won’t generally kill established poison ivy/oak/sumac.... you need to find brush killer. If it’s an area where you don’t care if anything grows there in the next year or so, you can use a broader-spectrum vegetation killer, such as Ortho(?) GroundClear, which will stay in the soil, sterilizing it for ~12 months. Most weed and brush killers work only within the plant, and become inert upon contact with the soil.... that’s why you are supposed to use them on actively growing, leafed-out weeds or brush — because the chemical is absorbed thru the surface area of the leaves.
Use a coarse spray and make sure you thoroughly wet as much of the poison ivy/oak/sumac plant as possible..... don’t skimp! Also, plan on having to reapply the chemical to areas of the plant that become exposed after some of it dies back. It’s tenacious, but it can be conquered.... it’s just not a one-and-done application.

 

[aart]

I am going to try the same thing with the vinegar/salt/dishsoap method, since the roundup didn't seem to work. We have poison ivy growing all over in the little wooded area where the coop is, and they run through it all the time!

Might as well just sneeze on it.

Don't screw around, go with this:

Roundup won’t generally kill established poison ivy/oak/sumac.... you need to find brush killer. If it’s an area where you don’t care if anything grows there in the next year or so, you can use a broader-spectrum vegetation killer, such as Ortho(?) GroundClear, which will stay in the soil, sterilizing it for ~12 months. Most weed and brush killers work only within the plant, and become inert upon contact with the soil.... that’s why you are supposed to use them on actively growing, leafed-out weeds or brush — because the chemical is absorbed thru the surface area of the leaves.
Use a coarse spray and make sure you thoroughly wet as much of the poison ivy/oak/sumac plant as possible..... don’t skimp! Also, plan on having to reapply the chemical to areas of the plant that become exposed after some of it dies back. It’s tenacious, but it can be conquered.... it’s just not a one-and-done application.

 

[aliciaFarmer]

I think you just solved a mystery I’d almost forgotten about haha...

I'm so glad I could help. I would have been perplexed too.

I'm sure the eggs are fine the more I read around, but if I find that to be any different, I will surely let you know.

 

[aliciaFarmer]

Might as well just sneeze on it.

Don't screw around, go with this:

We have a small organic farm and don't use poisons or toxins. My general rule of thumb is if I won't put it in my own body, I won't put it on my food, in my chicken or in my yard. The vinegar and salt method works really great on a lot of things (including very well established ivy) but I haven't tried it on poison oak yet.

 

[LittleMissCountry]

Might as well just sneeze on it.

Don't screw around, go with this:

Really? It doesn't work? I was super frustrated when the roundup didn't work, and we have more growing in. I wonder if I can rig something up to spot treat with the brush killer. A lot of the poison ivy is near our raspberry and blackberry bushes and I don't want to kill those.
I may end up just digging up all of it that I find around the chicken's free range area and throw it deep in the woods, then put a tarp on it for awhile.
Right now, with the fox around our area, the girls are not getting out anyway. I am not allergic (yet), and I would like to keep it that way.

 

[cholland]

My chickens eat poison oak and where it grew in the run they even dug up the roots and killed the plant.

I don't think it passes to the eggs. Never had any issue with them. However, a hen that has been in the PO could transfer the oils to the egg shell after laying.

I don't use herbicides around the house but have used the roundup brush killer with success in other areas. Goats are also very effective at controlling poison oak.