Plants Toxic To Chickens

[Ridgerunner]

That list is wild, isn't it. One thing they left off is Bok Choi. That stuff can be deadly to humans too. There was a report a few months about a woman that ate a few pounds a day for a long time and developed serious, maybe fatal, thyroid problems because of it. Can't remember the details. I think she was in Southeast Asia. Not sure if constipation was a problem for her also.

Some of the things on that list are probably pretty deadly. Some may cause sickness but not death. Some may be a long term risk, where others are probably flushed out of their systems. I suspect many would need to be eaten in pretty big quantities before they caused problems.

Mine free range (no fences) and I don't worry about it.

 

[thistlebloom]

Yep, really the only thing you can eat massive amounts of long term
and still be healthy is chocolate
Sure, go ahead, you can quote me!

 

[lesa]

I've proved that theory over and over, thistle!

 

[thistlebloom]

Yes, I've donated my body to science for chocolate experimentation!

 

[iajewel]

I think who ever wrote that list wasn't raising chickens. Many people buy flaky alfalpha to feed their birds in the winter. There are about half the things on that list that grow in my yard or pasture. Either my birds just aren't eating them, which I doubt, or who ever wrote the list needs to actually own some chickens for a while.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think there are "toxic" substances in most of those things, probably all of them. But with extremely few exceptions, the toxin in them would have to be concentrated or the chickens would have to eat ridiculous amounts for it to have any serious effect. In that context, cabbage is toxic. Mine still get the leaves from my cabbage, brocolli and cauliflower. They get kale, chard, and Bok Choi too, just not an exclusive diet of that stuff. My chickens do not get chocolate, though. I do draw the line somewhere.

A balanced diet for the chickens, or us, is good. Too much of anything can be bad. A tiny bit of many things usually does not hurt.

I once had a water softener salesman try to sell me a water purification system, one of those big things that you dump salt in. He was telling me all the horrible things that are in the tap water, why, it sometimes even has arsenic in it! Arsenic!!! You should have seen his face when I said, "But your bones get brittle if you don't get some arsenic".

That was a total lie. Arsenic does not keep your bones from getting brittle. Far as I know, it has absolutely no beneficial effect on your body. But my point was that tiny trace amounts of some things won't hurt you. He was kind of obnoxious too.

 

[digitS']

This is a very useful website because it cites cases of poisoning so it isn't just a list:

Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System

No listing of toxic plants is complete. As has been said, many, many plants may have a small amount of toxins in them. Water damage to hay, flooding of pastures, drought, over-fertilization, treatment with herbicides -- all of these things can increase toxins in plants.

Plants found in some areas may not be found other places:

Poisonous Plants of the Southeastern United States (56 page pdf), Auburn University
Toxic Plants, Texas A & M
Weed Management in Pasture Systems, Pennsylvania State University
Poisonous Plant Guide, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University
Indiana Plants Poisonous to Livestock and Pets, Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine

It would be wonderful if there was a list somewhere of "safe plants" or "plants not known to be harmful." The 2 sources for that information that I had were taken off the internet, however. I suppose that the authors were concerned about being sued if someone took that information as "gospel."

I am sure that there are some that will say, "just don't worry about toxic plants." And, they may well get away with that - many of these plants are unpalatable, livestock just don't want to eat them. Many have such a low level of toxicity that eating a little may interfere with weight gain or egg production without causing any other noticeable harm to the animal's health. But, be assured that toxic plants cause problems. A few years ago, New Mexico State University said that locoweed accounts for an annual economic loss to livestock producers of more than $5 million in just 2 of that state's counties!

As has been suggested, animals in confinement may eat things thrown to them out of boredom or lack of choice. Chickens are usually raised in confinement and there have been plenty of cases of feed contaminated with seed from toxic plants. Even if the birds are not killed but production is lowered - that can be very bad news for outfits operating on narrow profit margins.

I suppose the very best advice for someone with a small flock is just, "Know what you are throwing in your chicken pen." And, it is far easier to know a few useful plants than to know a hundred dangerous ones.

Steve

 

[hoodat]

That was a total lie. Arsenic does not keep your bones from getting brittle. Far as I know, it has absolutely no beneficial effect on your body. But my point was that tiny trace amounts of some things won't hurt you.

Just an interesting sidenote. Gypsy women often use small doses of arsenic to keep their skin smooth and lighten the tone of it.

 

[lighthawk]

That was a total lie. Arsenic does not keep your bones from getting brittle. Far as I know, it has absolutely no beneficial effect on your body. But my point was that tiny trace amounts of some things won't hurt you.

Just an interesting sidenote. Gypsy women often use small doses of arsenic to keep their skin smooth and lighten the tone of it.

Read a study some time ago that arsenic in small amounts actually prevents and kills some forms of cancer. Some populations that had very long life spans were studied and found that they had a common practice of putting wood ash on their gardens and farm fields. There are trace amounts of arsenic in wood ash.

 

[thistlebloom]

My chickens do not get chocolate, though. I do draw the line somewhere.

Isn't that where brown eggs come from?