Toxic Plants for free range birds

[shellfd]

Ok, I am new to raising chickens. We live in northeast PA. We have 5- they are about 4 months old. They free range during the day. Although we have 100 acres, they stay close to the house/ coop and only free range about 2-5 acres. They know where is it the safest. However, I am reading conflicting information regarding toxic plants. They have been eating the leaves of lesser burdock (aka... wild rhubarb) and they love them. I have seen posts that say they are toxic and other ones that say chicken can have them... so which is it? I want to ensure they do not eat plants that can harm/ kill them!

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
Our flock ranges over about five or six acres of diverse 'stuff', and seem to avoid the toxic weeds and mushrooms that are out there. Some things are a problem in high doses, and okay in tiny amounts, and some things can be eaten by different birds that we need to avoid.
After over 25 year of chickens here, there doesn't seem to have ever been a problem.
Disasters would be more likely if they were in a pen and fed a toxic plant as the only offering available.
This is not an endorsement! I'm sure there can be issues, depending on where you live, and what grows there. It helps to add your approximate location, and also post on your state's thread.
Mary

 

[centrarchid]

The do learn through expereince which plants make them feel bad. Most of the literature out there is more focused on plant toxicity in the context of mammals. The only area I find chickens have issue with plant toxicity involves fermenting fruit where chickens get drunk, sometimes really drunk. The fermenting issue is usually a fall issue with some berries and persimmons here.

 

[shellfd]

Thanks for the info.

 

[shellfd]

Thank you. I added my location.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I would love to hear if anyone has had an issue or presumed issue with a chicken being poisoned by a plant. Never experienced it or heard of anyone who did, but maybe I’ve just been lucky or don’t have “problem” plants.

And the “fermented fruit” made me laugh...when I was a kid we had a crabapple tree on the property and sometimes the pheasant and quail were a little “overserved”.

 

[centrarchid]

I would love to hear if anyone has had an issue or presumed issue with a chicken being poisoned by a plant. Never experienced it or heard of anyone who did, but maybe I’ve just been lucky or don’t have “problem” plants.

And the “fermented fruit” made me laugh...when I was a kid we had a crabapple tree on the property and sometimes the pheasant and quail were a little “overserved”.

Getting drunk in free-range setting be bad. Failure to even go to roost and get lost to sleep in ground overnight in area they do even free-range in. Only good is they are happy drunks.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Getting drunk in free-range setting be bad. Failure to even go to roost and get lost to sleep in ground overnight in area they do even free-range in. Only good is they are happy drunks.

Might explain why you never see pheasants and quail around these parts anymore (replaced by wild turkeys).

Also bad idea for drunk people to go in the chicken run...if you pass out, the flock is likely to eat you!

 

[Folly's place]

"Never have a heart attack in the pig pen!" You can add chicken coops to that old saying. Omnivores do what they do...
Mary