What is this plant and can my chickens eat it?

[bryan8]

Im in NY

I have a bunch of this plant growing around my proterty. It has a kinda minty smell to it.

Heres a pic

What is it? And is it chicken safe?

~Bryan

 

[momiphouph]

Can you post a closer pic of the leaves or flower... It does kinda look like mint since you said it has a minty smell it very well could be. Im new to Chickens so I cant tell you as to the safty but maybe I can help you identify the plant.

 

[tinyscrafts]

are the stems square?

 

[gritsar]

Are you chickens confined to a pen?
My chickens are free range and they leave the poisonous plants on the property alone.
A chicken bored in a pen might be tempted, but with plenty of appropriate things around to eat the free ranging ones avoid the bad stuff.

 

[TACEYPERKINS]

please post a closer picture of the plant. It will help identify it. Thanks

 

[digitS']

It sure looks like mint.

I think that all plants in the mint family have square stems and that's why Tinyscrafts asks the question. You can slice thru one and check or just roll the stem between your finger and thumb and you may realize that it is square.

And if it is a mint, your chickens should leave it alone. That, at least, has been my experience and I've got about 5 or 6 different mints in my yard. About all the hens do is scratch around them.

Steve

 

[Beed]

Looks like clary sage or some other kind of sage. Not sure though.

 

[GardeNerd]

It does look like it is in the Lamiaceae family, which includes the genera for sages, salvias, and mints. They all have square stems, and that is probably why tinyscrafts was asking.

I don't think it will harm your chickens, and I doubt they will eat it (much.) The worst I can think of that plants in that family do are cause skin irritation in allergic individuals, some are edible, some others-animals don't usually eat, like sage.

I am curious what its name is, as well a closer pic. I haven't seen anything exactly like that around here.

 

[StupidBird]

LEMON BALM!!!! One of the mint family. It's got fuzzy leaves - more hairy than most mints. Oh *&^)(*, I got some in my garden with a plant and it is as if I'm fighting miniature kudzu! The more I pull it out, the faster it grows.
There is only so much tea I can drink of this stuff. The only positive is that cramming it all into heavy black plastic lawn bags, water well, and let sit behind the shed until next year is the only way to kill it - and comes out a nice black compost too. Putting it in the regular compost just spreads it. tough stuff. Bees love its blossoms.
My chickens ignore it, of course.

 

[Rillion]

digitS' :

And if it is a mint, your chickens should leave it alone. That, at least, has been my experience and I've got about 5 or 6 different mints in my yard. About all the hens do is scratch around them.

Good to know! I have several different plants of that family in my yard as well, and was wondering about that. Thanks.