What was the reason chickens shouldn't have uncooked beans?

[Bear Foot Farm]

There is NO comparison between being accidently hit by lightening and deliberately eating a known toxin.

The odds of serious harm resulting appear to be about the same.
Everyone will tell you "chocolate is poisonous to dogs"

What they don't tell you is a Chihuahua would have to eat about 5 lbs to get enough to hurt it.

Are there "toxins" in some raw beans?

Yes

Are there enough to do serious harm to most chickens?

I doubt it

If it were a huge problem, I fell certain there would be many threads here about chicken deaths, since many folks have beans in their gardens

Why look for things to worry about?​

 

[frostbite]

Interesting post about how phytohaemagglutnin affects humans. But there are many differences between species about what things they can safely eat. Ravens can eat things that would make me deathly ill, my dogs aren't allowed anywhere near MY chocolate, my horses can't eat hay that cows would be fine with.

So is there any evidence that phytohaemagglutnin or similar substances in other legumes are toxic to chickens?

 

[Cindy in PA]

I've never seen chickens eat raw soybeans on their own. Not much will eat them. Deer decimate the leaves, but will leave the pods on for months, even if they are not harvested.

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
Imp

The one thing that I see is that you are comparing a bean (the kidney bean) that has the highest amount of Phytohaemagglutinin with a bean (the green bean) that is modernity low in Phytohaemagglutinin but with this said I will say chickens are a lot tougher than people think they are.
A good example would be that a chicken can survive with very high levels of lead in there system with no ill effects.


Chris

 

[debid]

These are small, white beans from mature, dried pole bean pods. I just wondered whether there was anything to worry about. Since the chickens are still running around exactly as they were before their garden adventure, I'm guessing that it's not a huge deal.

 

[ChickcrazyCharlie]

Quote:
Being "real" and being an actual problem are different things.

Lightning is a "real" danger

The odds of being struck, not so much.

hahahahhahh, I like it!!!!

 

[CluckyJay]

It would be a good project to have a chicken control group, a normally fed group and a group fed on normal food with a goodly amount of dried beans in it. If it is inhibiting nutrient absorption, it should show up in the bean-fed group.

Unfortunately, I don't have enough chickens left to experiment on after that dog!

 

[johnsons-r-us]

My property borders a soybean field for many many acres. I can't even hardly see the other side. My chickens free range. We got them last Easter and in just a few weeks they were free ranging from sun up to sun down. They go into the fields during the day and I don't know what they eat, whether it's bugs or soybeans, but I've not lost any chickens and they are all laying very well

Maybe they shouldn't eat a bunch of dried uncooked beans? Just like you don't eat raw oatmeal then drink milk or water....it swells up.

 

[Clay Mudd]

Quote:
Mainly because someone once read that someone else said that maybe it could cause a problem.

Isn't that the way it always is?

 

[cmfarm]

Don't some feeds contain field peas? I'm not sure what the differnce is in a "pea" and a "bean" but they seem pretty similar. I don't think they would be putting it in the food if it would make them sick. Not to mention soy beans are in a lot of chicken feeds. Why don't they get sick from those?