Wild onions

[4kidslotsapets]

Are wild onions ok for hens to eat? Our yard is full of them. I know onions are bad for cats and dogs, but didn't know how chickens feel about them!

Thanks

 

[ARose4Heaven]

I think I read somewhere that onions are from the nightshade family...thus not nice for small animals.


http://www.poultryhelp.com/toxicplants.html#O

 

[leenie]

My chickens absolutely feast on my garden chives, both regular and garlic. Not quite wild onions but . . .

 

[jeremy]

We have wild onions growing on the hillside of my bird's run, I always know when they've dug some up because the entire area will just reek of onion.

I'm pretty sure they eat them and I haven't had any birds drop dead yet, so...

Not to mention last year they destroyed my garlic before it ever even had a shot at becoming anything worthwile...

As far as onions being part of the Nightshade family, I don't know how accurate that is. I know tomatoes, peppers and eggplant all are but I've never heard of onions being grouped with those plants. I could be wrong though.

 

[ninjascrub69]

They are not bad for chickens at all, they are actually beneficial.

ETA: onions are not in the nightshade family

 

[oaklandmama]

I know this post is a little old, but did you ever let your chickens clear the wild onions? Our yard is absolutely infested with them and I was thinking about letting our chickens eat them down when they all come up again. I've heard that they make the eggs taste funny, but wonder if that is a matter of quantity...