Rhubarb...

[julie70]

Hi

I have a crop of rhubarb that was left by the previous owners of our house. I thought it would be great for my hens to scratch over, do they have a natural aversion to eating rhubarb? Our sheep don't eat it.

Does anyone know, I don't want to poison them.

Also, what age can chooks be introduced to other foods suck as grated veggies or rolled oates?

(mine are still inside, they are only 3-6 weeks), just getting myself ready.

Thanks heaps.

Julie

 

[Dwkuska]

Now I am not 100% sure on this but if I remember right the leaves are poisonous, and if it goes to seed you cant eat any of it. I definately could be wrong though!

 

[julie70]

Yes, the leaves are poisonous!

I just wondered, if they naturally wouldn't eat it, like our sheep do.

 

[spikennipper]

I'm growing Rhubarb and the chooks love eating the leaves! I think the leaves have oxalic acid which will make us ill but the chooks are showing no ill effects, perhaps they use it as a natural wormer? mine also seek out and eat tomato leaves and are fine although they too are not supposed to be edible! so I wouldn't worry too much, the birds will instinctively know if and when to eat/not eat them.

 

[heath_elisha]

I have read that it is toxic.... I wouldn't feed any part of it to them..... and glad I learned it because I planted some this year and thought they could have the scraps after I make a pie with it.

 

[silkiechicken]

I'm growing Rhubarb and the chooks love eating the leaves! I think the leaves have oxalic acid which will make us ill but the chooks are showing no ill effects, perhaps they use it as a natural wormer? mine also seek out and eat tomato leaves and are fine although they too are not supposed to be edible! so I wouldn't worry too much, the birds will instinctively know if and when to eat/not eat them.

Swiss chard, spinch, and kale also have oxalic acid in the leaves. Any animal can eat some and be just fine... just don't over do it.

All in moderation.

 

[debid]

My chickens don't touch the rhubarb but they go crazy over the swiss chard. So, I wouldn't remove the plant but I wouldn't give them the leaves as a treat either.

 

[julie70]

I thought they would eat yummy grass before the yucky rhubarb leaves?

 

[SweetSilver]

Now I am not 100% sure on this but if I remember right the leaves are poisonous, and if it goes to seed you cant eat any of it. I definately could be wrong though!

This part not true. I often don't harvest when it is blooming because the plant is giving the energy to the flower stalks and not as much leaf production. Stems are fine to eat at any point in their development, red, green, pink, stringy, not stringy, spring, summer-- any time.

Apparently chickens seem to love rhubarb leaves, even though they are high in oxalic acid. But mine won't touch swiss chard. Go figure.

 

[janinepeters]

My chickens mostly ignore the rhubarb, but quickly eat all swiiss chard leaves within reach, down to the leaf veins.