Why no citrus?

[tlagnhoj]

Most of the foods on the do-not-eat list have a reason for it. But the citrus didn't. I was just wondering what about citrus is bad for the birds.

 

[FireTigeris]

I think it has something to do with calcium absorption- not sure, they don
t like it anyway as I have citrus trees around and they ignore the fruits and leaves.

 

[BuffOrpington88]

Citrus fruits contain limonin, which is toxic to poultry.

 

[FireTigeris]

Quote:

here's another now that I looked

http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/004/X6512E/X6512E08.htm
Quote: Due to the presence of toxic factors in the seeds, they should not be fed to poultry and only with care to pigs.

 

[griffinkid02]

Mine won't eat citrus anyway. I frequently raid the compost bucket for chickie treats and occasionally end up with a grapefruit peel in the henpen, they profoundly ignore it....

 

[yellowirenut]

hmm...and i have been giving mine bad oranges for a wile now. Just one sliced up every now and then. They ignore the rind and go for the flesh
Seedless oranges

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Mine have been eating citrus for years with no bad results. Mine love the grapefruit that falls to the ground, and the meyer lemons. When we had orange trees, they would eat ornges as well--which is more than I can say for us, becuase we wouldn't (they were not very good--one tree's fruit was always nearly bone dry and the other one was not very sweet)..

 

[Maggie C]

I live in Florida as well and have citrus trees. My girls like an orange occasionally but seem not to prefer them as regular treats. They don't like grapefruit at all. If they want it, they eat it; if they don't it goes in the compost pile.

 

[lisascenic]

Citrus fruits contain limonin, which is toxic to poultry.

I believe this is also toxic to humans, but you'd have to ingest massive quantities to do any harm.