Which Garden Greens Are Ok To Feed Chickens?

[suzettex5]

My garden is about done for the year, so now I am wondering which plants have leaves that are safe for chickens to eat.

Here's what is out there, if anyone can tell me which are no-no's or which are safe, I would really appreciate it! I wont be feeding the roots of anything, just the tops, leaves and maybe stems.

Strawberries
Tomatoes
Yellow Crook Neck Squash*
Zucchinni*
Bell Squash*
Cucumber*
Egg plant
Chives
Pumpkin*
Bell Pepper
Jalepeno

Those marked with a * have tiny spikey things all over the leaves and stems and I wasnt sure if chickens would choke on them or get them stuck in their throats, so I am most curious about them. I heard tomatoe plant leaves are bad for chickens- is that true?

Thanks all!

 

[colebarnhart]

The BYC treat chart

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart

 

[crazyhen]

tomatoe leaves and Eggplant foliage are in the night shade family. I do not see anything else on your list that I would worry about much. chickens will try anything once but usually if they have a choice will choose to eat that which they are safe too.

 

[suzettex5]

Thanks for the link- I am referring to the foliage that is left over after all the produce is gone.

I had a feeling the tomatoes were a no no, but I am glad to know now about the egg plant.

I guess I am most concerned about all the prickly skins on the leaves being a problem for them to swallow.

 

[Kaeta44]

My lot ignore stinging nettles, so I imagine that your chickens will also refuse leaves of a similar nature. But perhaps it's best not to offer them in the first place if you're unsure.

ttp://muckycluckers.blogspot.com/

 

[A.T. Hagan]

If you can eat them they can eat them.

 

[gmendoza]

Funny how to"not feed" chickens,turkeys,guineas and such eggplant.Thats the first thing they go to when clearing the garden for winter.

Ive seen em clear a good 5' high eggplant bush in a manner of chicken-seconds down to a stem.

 

[PressOn]

I am going to cover crop some Winter Rye once my tomatoes are finished for the year. I wanted to cover crop hairy vetch as well but chickens have problems with vetch. In the late winter I am going to plant bush garden peas for nitrogen fixation as well as for something fresh for the chickens. In the spring I am going to go nuts with marigolds in the backyard. I hope my red chard keeps growing through the winter.

I feed all of my vegetable scraps to the chickens and what ever is left over I pass on to the worm bins. In turn I feed some worms to the chickens.

Everything I plant for my family in the garden the hens also love. Next year I am going to fence off a portion of the garden from the hens. One of my sons is so frustrated at the chickens for eating much of our garden work.

They are also eating much of the fruit that drops from the trees, that is very helpful.