herbs from garden....safe for ducks?

[CarolinaASTchic]

We have cilantro growing crazy in our front garden as well as parsley, dill and sweet basil in pots on our porch. I was just curious if it was safe to give to the ducks and chickens to munch on? If so I thought of planting some on the outside of their pens but wasn't sure if this was a good idea or not. thanks!

 

[Wynette]

Oh, FANTASTIC question - I don't have an answer, but I'm interested to hear the replies!!

 

[Oregon Blues]

Yes, if you can eat them, then they are safe to give to the ducks. They might or might not want them if they are strongly flavored. I seem to remember that my ducks gave the basil a pass last year.

 

[CarolinaASTchic]

Thank you for your help Oregon Blues!

 

[Mum]

My hens and ducks are simply not interested in my chives, mint or rosemary

I have plenty of all three and I didn't mind sharing, but they'd rather have grass, dandelion leaves and clover

 

[newbyduckmom]

My ducks avoid strong tasting (I assume this is the reason) herbs. Have lots of sage, lovage, rosemary, chives, parsley, lemon balm, lavendar.....etc. They stay away from all of them and do not eat them when I give them to them. I don't share the basil since it's too difficult to grow decently here! Same with cilantro. Don't have much luck with that here either.

I even planted Bergartten Sage and Lemon Balm in the duck run, they are the only plants still alive! (Granted they are plants at fence line and partially under the fence so roots are protected)>

 

[CarolinaASTchic]

I actually just tried the cilantro with both the chickens and the ducks...I cut the stalk where it was starting to go to seed and gave it to the the ducks first and man did they go crazy for it. The chickens weren't quite as impressed with theirs but they were pecking at it when I left. Plus it made the coop smell good! lol!

 

[rengard]

My khaki's are very particular about their foods. Good taste, they prefer freshly picked home grown organics! They did not like the sampling of cilantro I gave them, so more for me!! I did discover that they ate the cilantro seeds (coriander) off the plants hanging within reach.

Lesson for me: keep some of the cilantro plants out of duck reach if I want seeds for cooking and next years season.

Cilantro and coriander seeds are very good medicinal food.

I grow in hanging baskets for easy reach, but will leave a basket on the ground for duck grazing. They picked them when the seeds were young, I'll let them decide.

 

[Shewholovesducks]

Is parsley safe for ducks? Mine aren't interested in it (YET!) but my son likes to throw it to them, they're only maybe 2 1/2 months old, I can't KEEP lemon balm!!! They completely destroyed all the lemon balm around their pond!!! And the chocolate mint! I guess it depends on each duck! Mine will eat and any all plants growing around their pond except the buttercup, they've even eaten my squash, kale, and broccoli plants I had sitting near the pond while I got the garden ready. Also is burdock safe?

 

[CindyinSD]

Burdock leaves, stalks & roots are all edible. I think people are leery of it because the big broad leaves resemble rhubarb, whose leaves are not considered edible although this appears to be unfounded. The levels of oxalic acid (the purported culprit) in rhubarb leaves are only a little higher than in the stalks and are actually significantly lower than those in spinach, parsley & chives. https://www.gardenmyths.com/oxalic-acid-rhubarb-leaves-harm-you/