Will chickens eat dandelions?

[8Chicks4Ky]

I have 8 5-week old chicks who live in a chicken tractor. My yard is covered in dandelions. I'm always telling my kids to pick the dandelions before they go to seed. Can they give the flowers to the chicks? Or will it hurt them?

 

[TexGardenGirl]

It's not on the toxic plants list (whew, what a relief! I've fed my chickens dandelions since they were about a week old and never occurred to me they might be toxic - I figured if we can eat them, they can, which of course I know is not always true - please nobody yell at me for that comment.)
Anyway, I've found my chickens really don't like the flowers much, it's the leaves they love. (Even the guineas like them.) I have dandelions in the garden like crazy, and I just pull the whole thing up (have to twist to get most of the root out) and throw them in the chicken pen when I get a handful. They fight for them.
Mine did eat some of the flowers as babies - I too assumed they'd like them more than the leaves, but as soon as they had a choice they preferred the leaves.
Remember to give them some grit if you feed anything besides prepared feed.

 

[GiddyMoon]

From I have read...chickens love dandelions.

 

[sadies chicks]

Mine also just eat the leaves and could care less about the flowers.

 

[NottinghamChicks]

I buy them at the market place when they are not in season her in NH just to feed to my hens, they love them!! They unfortunately do not have the flower, just the greens. But they love the entire plant.

 

[gocrow77]

Dandelion is a favorite of my chickens along with clover.

 

[Mallory]

Yay. Good to know, because in a few weeks my yard will be a whole blanket of the darned things! LOL

 

[Erica]

Not only is it tasty to chickens, dandelion leaves are highly nutritious.

A most excellent forage for when grass etc is low in protein (eg winter).

regards
Erica

 

[kidd42]

Dandelion greens can be used as a natural dewormer for chickens. I've used it in the past, you chop up the greens, add fine diced garlic, shredded carrots and pumpkin seed's. They all work together to expel the worms, and you can eat the egg's as you are giving it to them.

 

[lfreem2]

Dandelion leaves make a great salad for humans too!

My chicks love dandelion leaves live crazy! I used to curse the darned weeds in my yard and now I walk around picking the leaves for the girls. I actually get ticked off that there aren't more of them! I think owning chickens has made me a touch crazy. LOL!