Hostas?

[Dragonfly99]

I'm thinking about planting some hostas and other perennials around the outside of my chicken run. Are hostas okay for chickens to eat? The plants will be on the outside of the fence, but they still might be able to reach some leaves, so I don't want to plant something unsafe for them.

Any suggestions for other chicken-safe plants would be great!

Thanks!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Hostas seem to be one of the plants that chickens often enjoy eating. Considering the vast numbers that have been consumed, I am sure they are safe!

 

[Dragonfly99]

Thanks!

 

[flowerchild59]

Hosta are consumed as a green vegetable in the orient. They are perfectly safe for your chickens to eat.
I pull off the seed pods and toss them to my girls. They love the pods too.

 

[wiss0023]

I planted several hostas along my back fence a couple weeks ago . . . chickens ate them to shreds! Good thing they are hardy, hope they come back next spring

 

[snowflake]

don't know if my hens are eating them or just enjoy scratching the heck out of them. I have to put rocks or fences around them to get them through the summer watch out slugs

 

[GermanChick]

Hostas seem to be like a salad bar for my girls. They LOVE them. I had to put chicken wire around and atop my hostas to keep them be eaten to the ground.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

After my chickens got done with my hosta it was just stems, but it came back okay. The following year they discovered they like rainbow chard even better!

When they first discovered chard, they ate a big patio pot full, until it was just stems. The next day, they ate the stems. The next day, they scratched up the roots. Then they came back, dust bathed in the pot and tossed half the dirt and peat moss all over. Now, the hosta is old news.

I do like to plant extra dark leafy greens for the chickens. I always have things like rainbow chard around and kale is excellent, too. I even like planting rainbow chard in some of my flower beds and pots. I think it's pretty, as well as tasty. Plus, it grows in cool or warm weather for me.

 

[GardenerGal]

I would rather have slugs get to my hostas, than chickens! The slugs will eat holes in the leaves but leave some of the plant, but chooks will eat the whole plant given the chance. My waterfowl like hostas too, and when I sometimes thin out hostas that are shading out neighboring plants, I'll rip up the leaves into little pieces and feed them to the quackers and honkers.

Hostas are edible for people too. In Japan, they eat the young shoots raw or steamed.

 

[birdsNbeesNseeds]

My chickens love nothing better than a fresh, tender, hosta and daylily afternoon snack. My garden is in shreds.