Will Chickens eat "Horse apples"?

[rrgrassi]

We have lots of Horse Apple trees, (aka Bois d' arc or Osage Orange) so I was wondering if chickes can eat the "horse apple".

I know that horses, cows, goats, and other animals do. I also know that they are poisonous to humans.

Thanks!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I would not, since they keep bugs away (I'm a woodburner, and have heard of these.).
People actually put those balls in their houses to keep bugs away.

IMO, anything that keeps bugs away, like citronella, cedar, etc. , I don't want my chickens near, especially eating.

Get those branches and put them in your woodstove, though!!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://hedgeapple.com/

Here you go! This website claims they are not poisonous. But if a bug won't eat it....

 

[loverOFchickens]

I would put a small amount in the pen (with other food availible of course) to try it. My chickens are free range and have never eaten anything that killed them. Maybe put it in by another treat and see which one they go for?

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

In my neck of the woods "horse apples" or "road apples" are horse turds.

I'm thinking to myself, who'd intentionally feed those to their chickens??

 

[HyLinda]

My thoughts exactly!
My horse and pony give us an ample supply of horse apples and my chickens go after the fly larvea and undigested oats.

 

[gritsar]

My chickens don't touch the kind of horse apples that fall from the tree. In fact there's at least 30 or 40 of them laying on the ground in the garden, not far from their coop.
The other kind of horse apple and umm...cow apple they love to dig through.

 

[denim deb]

Glad to see that I wasn't the only one who thought horse poo. I know my chickens will go thru that for whatever they can find to eat in them. The tree (Osage Orange around here) are not really seen that often, and then normally only if it's been planted. I sometimes call them green brain trees.

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
Me too. Actually since horses don't digest everything the chickens might kind of like picking through them for bits and pieces.

 

[Organics North]

Quote:
Me too. Actually since horses don't digest everything the chickens might kind of like picking through them for bits and pieces.

X3 or what ever....

I was thinking why yes the horse apples..aka horse manure from the neibors on my compost pile... Yes indeed the chickens love picking though them...

I know nothing about that exotic fruit you PNW folks are talking about...

ON