what's the deal with chickens and avocados?

[featherbaby]

I have parrots and silkie chickens. Every list of bird-toxic foods I've ever seen lists two poisons at the top of the list: Avacado and Chocolate. I won't risk my bird's health or lives on avocados when there are millions of nutritious things available to feed them.

 

[Ohhhdear]

So far, no ill effects at all from the avocados. But I'm not going to feed them anymore!

Buff Hooligans posted a list of treats and such here on BYCF. At the bottom is a list of don't feed foods. She mentions avocado seeds and skins as don't feed, but not the green flesh. https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart

Some of the links she gives for additional readings are broken, but this one looked rather exhaustive: http://www.poultryhelp.com/toxicplants.html. It doesn't mention avocado at all, which I found strange.

However, the ASPCA has a toxic warning posted about avocados http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/avocado.aspx. The site posted by avocado.com, http://www.avocado.com/site/fun-facts/avo-info/avocado-toxicity-in-animals-and-pets also warns about pet toxicity to persin but says chickens and turkeys are more resistant. I am always hesitant about believing Wikipedia articles, but its information was corroborated by other sources.

And someone on the UK's The Poultry Keeper forum lost several chickens and a duck overnight because of feeding them an avocado.

 

[Courtney R]

yeah thats wat i read too, that they r toxic to chickens

 

[satay]

I think i read somewhere it was the seed in the avacado that was toxic. Mine have had avacado occassionally but never the seed.

 

[Courtney R]

mine wood nevr eat the seed either wen i gave them avocados

 

[michaelof504]

So I understand that persin is the toxic element in avocado trees, and this toxin tends to be concentrated considerably in the leaves and bark of the tree. I have a small backyard, however I am planning to plant a dwarf avocado tree (either a Holiday variety or Wurtz) somewhat near to where the chickens are fenced. The tree will be planted about 6 feet on the other side of a fence where I keep the chickens. I expect that at some point in the future, the tree will grow enough to shed some leaves into the area where I keep my chickens. I expect to be pretty proactive with removing these leaves as they fall on the chickens' side of the fence, but of course, I can't be out in the yard 24/7 removing leaves immediately as they fall. Does anyone here know if the chickens will want to eat the leaves that fall to the ground on their side of the fence? I was under the impression that chickens possess a certain level of instinct and will usually avoid eating tree leaves that contain toxins (we also have an oak tree nearby that is already shedding leaves into the chicken's area, but I don't catch them pecking on oak leaves). Also, I don't plan on letting any avocados fall to the ground on their sided of the yard, and I don't plan on feeding any of the avocados to the chickens either. I'm just wondering if the presence of a near tree and falling leaves will present any danger to the chickens. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[tofupup]

I had a few small avocado plants growing in pots outside. The hens decimated them, but no one got sick from it (that I know of).

Also, before I read this thread, I fed my hens half an avocado. No one showed ill effect from it. That said, I won't feed them avocados on purpose anymore.

 

[lovingmyhens]

My chicken had an avocado over the last two days and so far so good. I don't normally have them in the house and after reading that they are a suspicious food I'll not give them any again. Better safe than sorry. As far as the diarrhea mine free range all day so I wouldn't know.

 

[Meganita513]

I failed to check before feeding and just found two (Out of 4 hens total) of my favorite hens dead in the coop from avocado. I am so upset with myself for not checking into this before now….

 

[Aerielle]

I know this is an old thread but just wanted to share in my experience, avocados are typically never the cause of death or illness in poultry. I was raised on an avocado ranch, family business. There are many benefits and the seed is actually a cancer killer, that is why it routinely is mislabeled. Not saying to make a batch of guacamole for the chickens but an occasional fruit here and there is beneficial. Here is another link talking about modern misconceptions in poultry husbandry http://www.communitychickens.com/top-5-myths-and-facts-about-treats-for-chickens/