What is this and can chickens eat it?

[ShrekDawg]

What is this and can the chickens eat it?

It's everywhere and I'm worried they'll eat the berries.

If they can't have it, I'll pull it out.

 

[SueT]

It looks like it might be lily of the valley...which is poisonous to pets.

 

[Christabean]

I agree, it looks like Lily of the Valley. Does it have a nice smell? If it does I would be pretty sure that's what it is. It looks naturalized, so may be hard to fully remove, but it's poisonous enough I would fence off whatever you can't remove. All parts are poisonous, leaves, flowers and berries.

 

[The Angry Hen]

I agree with @Christabean. Get rid of it, but don't forget about it. It might come back.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Thank you everyone! I'm not sure if it has a nice smell since I didn't smell it but it definitely looks like the picture! Pretty scary to know it has such severe symptoms and is so toxic.

So should I not let them free range until I remove it or? They love foraging in that area :/ although mostly behind the trees/further to the right like they are in the picture so I guess I could fence off this side too.

We have a dog and a cat too, although the cat is indoors and the dog can't really get over there. I don't think he's ever tried to eat it and he is a very large dog but still scary to have something so poisonous!

I do NOT feel safe having it there with a dog, a cat, and 8 chickens.

What is the best way to get rid of it? Obviously I don't want to use Roundup near their foraging area

 

[lazy gardener]

Lily of the Valley is invasive, very difficult to get rid of. I should know. It's taken over the East side of my house along the foundation. Agreed, it is poisonous.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Well that's just great... poisonous and hard to get rid of. :/

Can I fence it off?

So far the chickens seem to be avoiding it but they like to scare me by foraging right next to it... :/

 

[21hens-incharge]

I would dig it all down 6 inches and haul the dirt off. Then time for new dirt so the tree does not die and flagstones. You can fence it but remember they like to hop fences.

I lost a favorite hen to a cute little plant called tiny blue star. Super dangerous all parts. I found out to late.

 

[ShrekDawg]

That seems like somewhat a lot of work but definitely worth it for their lives!

I think for now I will fence it until I can remove it.

I don't think they would jump the fence since it's right next to a wooded area and compost pile so lots to eat!

 

[Christabean]

A non-toxic way to kill weeds/unwanted plants is boiling water. I have found it more effective than some of the vingegar & soap homemade weedkiller recipes out there, if you want to avoid Round-Up. Hopefully the tree roots would survive if the lilies-of-the-valley don't totally surround the tree and the roots aren't right at surface level. I would probably pull what I could (then wash your gloves!) and then thoroughly douse the area with bulbs in boiling water, working in sections, because you do have to really soak it to get the soil temperature murderously hot. It'll probably be a huge pain in the butt but easier than excavation. If you want to do flagstone or pavers as suggested above, you might as well just do weed cloth and then pavers and skip the digging out. That is my lazy non-farmer perspective, haha