Toxicity of Marijuana to Poultry

[Paradisewife]

DH has had chickens for as long as he has had his medical personal production license for cannabis. We routinely feed discard from live plants- water leaves, stems, etc. Not buds or flower (that's DH's medicine)! The chickens enjoy any fresh greens they get, and in the 6 years I've been with him, neither of us have seen any adverse reactions from feeding to our babies.

 

[TillerT]

Late to the game but I’ve just dealt with some issue regarding this. I pulled a male plant and fed to 1 flock, next day had 1 dead. Didn’t put it together and thought it was something else. Last night pulled another male plant fed it to a separate flock with no contact to the other flock and woke up to another dead one. I’m convinced it was the cannabis leaves. I don’t think it has any toxicity but it’s the fibrous nature of it that’s the problem. Both had extremely full crop the mornings they were found.

 

[GTHaze]

I'm looking for factual evidence regarding whether raw marijuana plant material consumption would be toxic to poultry, chickens, ducks, and geese in particular. While I assume there will be comical interjections to this thread, Please spare me the ethical arguments. I simply don't care to hear or debate over the ethics or legality issues. I'm seeking evidentiary information and personal experiences. I don't want my flocks to harm themselves, and I don't want my flocks to harm any investments IF I decide to go down the road of growing marijuana for personal medical use, or for legal commerce if the laws change.

I have experience here!! My first post outside the welcome area lol...

Birds will take what they want. Dont force it and they will be happy. I feed it to my Budgies (some LOVE it. Some dont care, and others avoid the smell all together) but never by force. My vet, along with a few others have confirmed my method. Even my dog enjoys it.

A friend of mine grows some in his garden with his free range chickens (the ones who help us alot) and they have never had negative results. Some Chickens stay away, some raid and others don't care either way.
When I have left over clippings (we can grow in my state now (and before that too)) I lay them outside and some of the local birds do the same as our Budgies. You can tell they have a buzz and you learn the regulars!!

Basically, its like us... be respectful, let them do it on their own time, never force it and always be with them incase their first time is a bad experience.

Our birds are too young yet. Once they start laying, I'll introduce them to it.

 

[TexasBlues]

Late to the game but I’ve just dealt with some issue regarding this. I pulled a male plant and fed to 1 flock, next day had 1 dead. Didn’t put it together and thought it was something else. Last night pulled another male plant fed it to a separate flock with no contact to the other flock and woke up to another dead one. I’m convinced it was the cannabis leaves. I don’t think it has any toxicity but it’s the fibrous nature of it that’s the problem. Both had extremely full crop the mornings they were found.

Sorry to hear that.
Did you happen to open up their crops? I’ve heard of chickens eating cut grass and dying because the long pieces of grass get all balled up in the crop.

 

[TexasBlues]

I wonder if the eggs would contain any thc? Imagine; edible-eggables. Mmmm

https://jpet.aspetjournals.org/cont...d fewer,fed daily supplementation of cannabis.