Rhubarb leaves and chickens ?

[sarahkeast]

Can I or cant I ? feed the leaves from rhubarb to the chooks ?

I know the leaves are mildly poisonous but have also heard that small amounts are good for something or other [but dont recall what] and the chooks just love anything green I give them.

Compost bins otherwise....

Thanks

[thesunflowergal]

They are a no go as they are poisonous. But saying that my friends chooks eat all of her rhubarb, and they where fine. Personally I would not take the chance.

[JulieSherris]

While I wouldn't actively feed the rhubarb leaves to the chooks, I have to say that my rhubarb is finally growing now that the gates have been closed on the veggy patch & the chooks are banned..... I think that says something!

[homegrown]

Someone tell the chickens I had my freshly divided rhubarb in large pots and growing well ready for the move and the little escape artists ate all the leaves with no apparent side effects

[Merry]

My hens seem to know what`s good for them and what they should avoid.
For example, there isn`t a speck of growing greenstuff where they free range apart from the fruit trees and shrubs, but they never touched the shoots of the snowdrops when they emerged and we had a lovely show of blooms.

[*stuffed*]

I think I remember reading that this is an organic option for worming the chooks....don't quote me lol

[Annpan]

I reckon...

it depends where your chooks are kept. Mine free range most days over a large area, with grass and trees and bushes to amuse them. If I put rhubarb leaves under the fruit trees they would probably not bother touching them as there is plenty other greenery.... but.... some days (for practical reasons) my chooks are kept in a movable run, if they have been in it for a day or 2 and I was to offer them rhubarb leaves they would probably nom them down without hesitation, because they have less greenery than usual.

All that said, I wouldn't ever 'feed' them rhubarb leaves... but birds should 'self-medicate' and might eat them if needed.

It is oxalic acid that is in them and a couple of leaves would be enough to give an adult human a dicky tum (so I have read) I really wouldn't 'feed' them to any animal.