Avocado trees over coop/run

[ChickyMamaNash]

Hello chicken lovers! I’m a novice chicken lover myself, and my 6 chickies are only about 1-2 weeks old. We’ve been working so hard on creating a great coop/run for them in the yard, including manually ripping up about 300sq ft of concrete, and then just last night I read that avocado trees, leaves, and bark are toxic.

We live in Los Angeles county, and the entire area where we’ve built their coop and run are covered by two enormous 50ft avocado trees. We thought it was perfect because they create a beautiful canopy over the whole area, and provides protection from aerial predators, but now I’m spiraling. The trees shed so many leaves, and because of squirrels, we’re always getting young/half eaten avocados falling down.

I could even construct some kind of roof over the run to avoid having the leaves/fruit fall, but there are massive exposed roots on the ground, and I read that this is toxic too.

Does anyone have experience with backyard chickens living near/under avocado trees? I’d love to hear advice from some chicken pros.

Thank you SO much!!!

 

[limaro]

I've heard avocado is bad for them, too. But before I knew that mine ate it once in a while and we had no problems. They never ate the skin or pit, so maybe they're just smart enough to avoid the dangerous stuff? We avoid feeding it to them now just to be safe.
With your situation, add some chicken wire or something over the coop to block the leaves and fruit from falling in. Can you add a floor of some sort to the coop/run to block those roots?

 

[Parront]

That sounds like a wonderful environment for chickens! I am from O.C. in So Cal, we had an avocado tree in a couple of houses I lived in. Never a problem with birds eating the leaves and getting sick. They made nests under the Oleander hedge, too. Those are also toxic. No one told those hens or the chicks they hatched in there. Most people with an avocado tree mulch under them with a deep bark anyway, perfect for chickens in my book. As long as your chickens have plenty of food they know what is good to eat. Our dogs used to eat the fallen avocados all the time, they never got sick from them. They were big dogs, Boxers, and liked to play ball with the avocodos, more than eat them all. To get any ourselves we had to keep the tree picked!

 

[Parront]

Hello chicken lovers! I’m a novice chicken lover myself, and my 6 chickies are only about 1-2 weeks old. We’ve been working so hard on creating a great coop/run for them in the yard, including manually ripping up about 300sq ft of concrete, and then just last night I read that avocado trees, leaves, and bark are toxic.

The entire area where we’ve built their coop and run are covered by two enormous 50ft avocado trees. We thought it was perfect because they create a beautiful canopy over the whole area, and provides protection from aerial predators, but now I’m spiraling. The trees shed so many leaves, and because of squirrels, we’re always getting young/half eaten avocados falling down.

I could even construct some kind of roof over the run to avoid having the leaves/fruit fall, but there are massive exposed roots on the ground, and I read that this is toxic too.

Does anyone have experience with backyard chickens living near/under avocado trees? I’d love to hear advice from some chicken pros.

Thank you SO much!!!

You could post a couple of photos to get better replies. Looks like you are new here, Welcome! Your location also helps. I know about where avocodos can live, and any place you can grow one that big is a wonderful place!

 

[ChickyMamaNash]

You could post a couple of photos to get better replies. Looks like you are new here, Welcome! Your location also helps. I know about where avocodos can live, and any place you can grow one that big is a wonderful place!

Hi! Thanks so much for your response, it actually does put my mind at ease a bit knowing that you've had chickens avoid eating the leaves/roots in the past. I am new here- thanks for the welcome! I've updated the post to include this info and some photos, but we live in Los Angeles County. Here are some photos of the area where we'd planned to keep their coop and run!

 

[BDutch]

What I have been reading and experienced with chickens is that they know by instinct what is poisonous for them. As long as it isn’t shredded and mixed with good food.

At the back of my chicken run there is a fence with ivy climbing through. And there is a poisonous laurel growing in the coop as wel. They only eat food and treats for chickens, and whats they find in the garden that’s good for them.

My chickens survived my poisonous plants for over 5 years.

 

[ChickyMamaNash]

What I have been reading and experienced with chickens is that they know by instinct what is poisonous for them. As long as it isn’t shredded and mixed with good food.

At the back of my chicken run there is a fence with ivy climbing through. And there is a poisonous laurel growing in the coop as wel. They only eat food and treats for chickens, and whats they find in the garden that’s good for them.

My chickens survived my poisonous plants for over 5 years.

This is super reassuring, thank you so much!!!

 

[Parront]

How are your chicks coming along? Gone out under the nice avocado tree yet?

 

[Mamalyons75]

Hello chicken lovers! I’m a novice chicken lover myself, and my 6 chickies are only about 1-2 weeks old. We’ve been working so hard on creating a great coop/run for them in the yard, including manually ripping up about 300sq ft of concrete, and then just last night I read that avocado trees, leaves, and bark are toxic.

We live in Los Angeles county, and the entire area where we’ve built their coop and run are covered by two enormous 50ft avocado trees. We thought it was perfect because they create a beautiful canopy over the whole area, and provides protection from aerial predators, but now I’m spiraling. The trees shed so many leaves, and because of squirrels, we’re always getting young/half eaten avocados falling down.

I could even construct some kind of roof over the run to avoid having the leaves/fruit fall, but there are massive exposed roots on the ground, and I read that this is toxic too.

Does anyone have experience with backyard chickens living near/under avocado trees? I’d love to hear advice from some chicken pros.

Thank you SO much!!! View attachment 2209042

Wow!! We have almost the exact situation with avocado trees. How did this work out for you??