Is all Comfrey edible to chickens?

[dani]

My husband brought home some Comfrey , I know of a type of Comfrey- Symphytum officinale is edible to them. How ever the Comfrey my husband brought home is Symphytum grandiflorum. I couldn't find anything on the internet about that species of comfrey being poisonous or not, if anyone knows anything please let me know because I would like to plant it as soon as possible if I can.

 

[CARS]

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/1974-05-01/Plant-Multipurpose-Comfrey.aspx

Hope that helps.

 

[phoenixmama]

Quote:
I just love MEN! Great article. I couldn't find comfrey cuttings ANYWHERE around me. So, I had to settle for some seeds I got from Horizon Herbs. I've heard Comfrey can be hard to get going from seeds...but we'll see.

 

[Illia]

Wow, that is good news for me! We have SO much Comfrey around here, wild and garden varieties. . . And even the garden varieties grow and invade like weeds.

Good thing I found a use for them now!

 

[cybercat]

My chickens eat all the wild herbs around our property. This includes confrey and burdock plus dandylions.

 

[CARS]

Keep in mind that some of MEN's articles are one-sided. There are other articles out there that have researched the ill-effects of comfrey on organs like the liver.

I think that the ill effects are of long term, heavy use type. Feeding small amounts as treats or supplements to your existing feedings should be fine.

 

[toto65]

I was so glad to find this post and others like it. I have comfrey growing wild on my property. In fact I have been trying to get rid of it for the last 2 years! So glad to find out that there is a good use for it.

 

[dragonlair]

I have several large comfrey plants scattered around my yard. Every few days ro so I feed some leaves to my chickens. They love them!

I know a farmer who planted some in his hay field and made haylage with it for his dairy cows.

 

[nancypo]

mine won't eat it, but I read it's high protein and very healthy. I've used it for burns, works awesome!!!

 

[digitS']

Here's what Cornell says about comfrey: ". . . comfrey . . . contains at least eight pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA). . . PAs are hepatoxins and can cause irreversible liver damage. One of the problems is that the effects of the alkaloids can be cumulative. Therefore, damage to the liver may not be associated to the alkaloids in comfrey. Sometimes toxicity signs will not be present until an animal is stressed by something that requires greater liver function (e.g., lactation). Also, the leaves and roots of comfrey have been shown to be carcinogenic." Plants Poisonous to Livestock - Cornell University, Department of Animal Science

Here is a little more information about pyrrolizidine alkaloids. They put comfrey into the group including tansy. " . . . most toxic for pigs, then poultry, cattle, horses, goats and sheep, with sheep being the least susceptible. These alkaloids cause photosensitization, liver and kidney damage and can also cause cancer and heart failure." Oregon State Unversity

So, what might we be losing by NOT feeding or eating comfrey? Looks like very little: "comfrey has lower amounts of eight amino acids that are essential for humans than turnip greens or spinach, but more than cabbage. Comfrey, like most green vegetables, is deficient in methionine and is also low in phenylalanine. Three ounces of dried turnip greens or spinach, in comparison to 20 oz of dried comfrey, supply adults with the total daily requirement of all essential amino acids, except for methionine." University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin, and Purdue University.

Steve

ETA: You may notice that the Mother Earth News article in the April post above is over 35 years old.