Are your chickens smarter than you?

[BigBlueHen53]

AI says:

Yes, hydrangeas can be toxic to chickens because they contain a chemical called hydrangin that turns into cyanide when ingested. This can lead to cyanide poisoning in chickens, which can cause severe gastroenteritis, bloody diarrhea, and skin irritation. However, most experts agree that chickens would need to consume a large amount of the plant to become ill.

 

[z3lda3]

I've long been convinced that chickens won't eat toxic plants bc if they did they'd soon be extinct. They've lived happily in my lily garden with no issues for years, though lilies are toxic to chickens. They shade themselves under them, scratch around the roots looking for bugs, and poop all around them but they don't eat them. The lilies love being cultivated and fertilized!

Now that you mention it, my girls LOVE to dirt bathe and under my honeysuckle bush. They’ve never, to my knowledge, have eaten any of the honeysuckle. And the poop definitely helps with the blooms!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

It’s surprising what’s toxic to chickens. I just learned that apparently tomatoes leaves are a no no and potatoes! Thank goodness the deer took care of my garden this year, whew!

I don't believe they'll bother the leaves, but when the tomatoes start to show a little color - Katy bar the door! Chicken love tomatoes!

 

[Logar]

I've long been convinced that chickens won't eat toxic plants bc if they did they'd soon be extinct. They've lived happily in my lily garden with no issues for years, though lilies are toxic to chickens. They shade themselves under them, scratch around the roots looking for bugs, and poop all around them but they don't eat them. The lilies love being cultivated and fertilized!

If you saw 10 week old chicks eating as much as they could shove into their beaks before I stoped them just for them to get by me the second I turn my head you might think a bit differently lol. They just went to town on them. It took a couple weeks before they understood not to go into that area. They do seem to leave my eggplant (eggplant plant?) alone even though they can reach it through their run. So I actually have 3 types of toxic plants now that I think about it but only one seems to be so delicious to them.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Listen guys this has heen a blast but it is WAAAY past this old gal's bedtime.. See yuns tomorrow maybe!

 

[z3lda3]

Listen guys this has heen a blast but it is WAAAY past this old gal's bedtime.. See yuns tomorrow maybe!

That’s fine, I don’t even know what we’re talking about anymore anyway. Lol

 

[z3lda3]

If you saw 10 week old chicks eating as much as they could shove into their beaks before I stoped them just for them to get by me the second I turn my head you might think a bit differently lol. They just went to town on them. It took a couple weeks before they understood not to go into that area. They do seem to leave my eggplant (eggplant plant?) alone even though they can reach it through their run. So I actually have 3 types of toxic plants now that I think about it but only one seems to be so delicious to them.

Eggplant plant..sounds good to me

 

[Logar]

Eggplant plant..sounds good to me

The eggplant plant next to the egg plants

 

[z3lda3]

The eggplant plant next to the egg plants

Exactly!

 

[Shadrach]

Lets just say the chickens I've known represent the intelligence potential of their species better than most humans I've known.