Tomatoes

[Tala]

It was my understanding that tomato fruit is ok, but the leafy green plant parts aren't.

Anyway, mine LOOOOOVE tomatoes, especially if it comes with a bonus worm inside! Also those green horn worms that get on tomato plants - got a Leghorn that will take your arm off to get one of those!

My chickens actually ignore my tomato patch, even if there are partially red tomatoes on the vines. I generally try to pick anything that's ready to eat when I let them out though, since they are drawn to the red ripe ones, but I haven't had any trouble out of them.

 

[cybercat]

Plants and fruit are OK. My chickens ate the plants when in their brooder. I had left over plants that never made it outside, so the chicks got them as intro to free ranging before going in coop. They went crasy for them.

 

[spartacus_63]

I have a couple of cake bird feeders that I slightly modified. I fill one with tomatoes and one with apples before I open the door in the morning. They head straight for them. As for the garden, mine seem to know that the garden is off limits...when I'm looking. But they have been known to sneak a few nibbles when my back was turned. Of course they help me with the weeds and they go crazy when I dig up potatoes. Not for the spuds, but for the worms that get exposed in the process. They are great helpers in the garden.

 

[Chickn chick 46]

Tomatoes are a favorite with my chickens. However because of the late blight disease the crop was shortened significantly so nobody in our house or hen yard had too many this year.

They love green beans though and I've had a good crop of those. I give them the ends as I pick them. They are on the no-no list of treats but not sure why

 

[MHF]

My girls love them. Just stand back so you don't get juiced when they flip maters everywhere.

 

[red star11]

mine love to eat all the tomatoes they can reach out of the garden.

 

[rstampa]

Quote:
I tried to look up green beans on the toxic plant list but couldn't find it. My chickens love green beans too. Please if you can give me the website where I can find this information. I have been using the following site:

http://www.poultryhelp.com/toxicplants.html#P

 

[Chickn chick 46]

Quote:
I tried to look up green beans on the toxic plant list but couldn't find it. My chickens love green beans too. Please if you can give me the website where I can find this information. I have been using the following site:

http://www.poultryhelp.com/toxicplants.html#P

Greenbeans are fine according to the list on BYC. I was looking at the bottom of the list and read about the dry beans and raw beans. So heres my question and where I became a bit confused, Isn't an uncooked string bean considered a raw bean?

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out

They haven't keeled over yet and they just love it when I throw the ends to them. Its game of whos gonna get the next one.

 

[Egg_newton]

My chickens LOVE LOVE tomatoes. They are right up there with mealworms.

 

[damselfish]

Regarding the plant part, my chickens stripped close to every leaf off some of my young tomato transplants. They also like the fruit in all stages. Also squash, cucumbers and peppers.

So, for me at least, a garden fence is now a requirement.

Strangely enough, green bean plants and pods are one of the few things they ignore. It's funny how everyone's chickens have these different preferences.