Sheesh! is this toxic plant list for real???

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That is so funny. My barred rock pullets freak out when they get a hold of a foam peanut. They go nuts.
 
I think some of these list can be very confusing and end up doing more harm in the end. Most people just get confused by long lists that clump everything together. They distract from plants that are truly toxic (and should be avoided at all costs) and those that are mildly toxic. It would be better if they also posted the level of toxicity of each plant or a short list of 'must avoids'.

DB
 
hmmm....just thinking about those packing peanuts you know some of them are actually starch based, not polystyrene....maybe that's why they like it???? (you can tell the difference by putting them in water in which case they should just get soggy)

and ji
but where they seem to get into trouble is with man made things - like styrofoam, or burgers for that matter.

I agree, that's where a lot of us get into trouble too!
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I vote paranoid too. Vinca is supposed to be an hallucinogen. how can I tell if my chickens are hallucinating?
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We'll have to have an intervention and put them in Chicken Rehab!
 
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exactly I looked at a list like that and well at least half of the plants on my property are considered bad. I have never seen them eat any of the bad stuff, and often see them take a taste of something questionable and move on to a different plant so I am pretty sure they can tell.

havent had any problems yet and have not really seen any posts about it either. Now neighbors spraying pesticides and such that is a more of a worry nd happens from time to time.
 
I looked over this list too and my first thought was "Are you serious?!" I mean if this list was accurate, well let's just say my chickens are gonners then. I either felt it was a paranoid chicken lover who wrote it: or they meant if your chicken eats 5 lbs. of cabbage//kale (or any of the other 5000 item listed as toxic) everyday for X amount of time they will have adverse side effects. Who knows. It seemed like a bunch of you know what to me.
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digitS' :

I've expressed my dismay about this list on poultryhelp.com before. The list is from a book on reptile keeping. That, in itself, is not a disqualification for information on plants toxic to chickens. Generally, a plant toxic to one animal is likely to be toxic to other animals. However, there's no explanation why some common livestock forage plants are on this list.

Probably any plant may become toxic if grown conditions like drought, flooding, over-fertilization, and such. For people who keep grazing animals, even slightly toxic forage can be bad news.

Not all that long ago I came across a Canadian government website on toxic plants. Many of these plants are found on both sides of the border.

Once again, the folks supplying the information are trying to "cover the bases" and help farmers stay out of trouble. But, they do provide references, examples of poisonings, etc. They also provide some common sense, like these words on brassicas:

"Brassica oleracea includes common cultivated crops such as kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage. All these vegetables are capable of forming toxic quantities of SMCO, a chemical that can cause hemolytic anemia in livestock. These plants also contain glucosinolates, which can cause goiter. In general, these widely used vegetables are safe for human consumption. Cases of livestock poisoning occur when they are used almost exclusively as fodder for animals(Kingsbury 1964, Smith 1980, Cheeke and Schull 1985, Benevenga et al. 1989)."

The message is fairly clear: don't feed these plants and exclude other foods from your animals' diets.

Steve

Emphasis is all mine (bold)

When used almost exclusively means nothing or very little else, so no five lbs of cabbage for mine, and no five pounds of any brassica plant. Feeding them some as a treat should be no problem. (of which I am thankful since my broccoli is starting to head up!)​
 
My girls would mow my bleeding heart to the ground if it weren't surrounded by chicken wire. They've also eaten all the ferns in my yard.

They leave the columbine alone, at least.
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