Chickweed is bad for chickens, really?.

[kristenm1975]

When I feed my girls, I always gather a small handful of the nice lush greens growing near their coop. It's mostly been cleavers, since that grows so well there, but also small dandelion leaves. When I saw that the chickweed was starting to grow, I put some of that in there for them too. I use it for a lot of things myself, as an herbalist, including munching on it fresh from the ground, or in tea,or a salve. The report I read on toxic plants for chickens stated that chickweed has toxic levels of nitrites (or nitrates, can't recall which) and that sounds really odd to me.

Anyone else feed their hens chickweed and if so, what happened?

Thanks!

 

[Den in Penn]

When the chick weed is growing in late winter my chickens go after that like it was the only thing to eat available. Well maybe there really isn't much else. They are still alive and going after things like clover. If the diet was only that one item maybe there could be a problem.

 

[kristenm1975]

That makes sense. Glad to hear it! Thanks for the input!

 

[KansasKate]

I also allow my chickens chickweed. And, for that matter, oxalis, which I've also read is "too high in oxalic acid." Tell my chooks that. They love them both. They will regulate themselves, I think. I have had virginia creeper and other "bad" weeds growing touching their runs, and they will leave that alone.