Raw Onions and raw potatos are posionous to them.
What not to feed chickens
Like dogs and chocolate anything you are not supposed to feed chickens?
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Good to know.
How about apple seeds? I sometimes give my hens left-over, past prime apples. I've never had a problem but I've often wondered if I should.
How about apple seeds? I sometimes give my hens left-over, past prime apples. I've never had a problem but I've often wondered if I should.
Technically apple seeds are posionous BUT it would have to be in large quantities. By giveing them a couple apple cores is not enough to hurt them.
this information is invaluable to a beginner like me, so thanks very much. 
Thanks, Apyl.Technically apple seeds are posionous BUT it would have to be in large quantities. By giveing them a couple apple cores is not enough to hurt them.
I knew about the onions but not the potatoes. I never fed either to our birds, but how poisonous are onions and potatoes? Is it instant death or just make them sick? Like I said I've never fed either, just would like to know. Thanks for sharing!
I've always read/heard about the raw potato skins, because of the green part. It is toxic to humans in large doses, since chickens are little, then they would be more affected I guess.
I read somewhere, long, long ago about not giving them citrus peels or rinds etc. Not sure about the onions, they usually don't bother with any onions that I have noticed. I give them anything that is left over from dinner that isn't going into the compost. They many times jump in the compost and help themselves. I've never had one sick from it that I know of. Macaroni & Cheese is one of their favorites.
As for apples, well, I have an apple tree in the chicken yard and it drops the apples before they are ripe and as they drop the chickens run over and eat it. When we press apples for cider in the fall the mash goes to the chickens. However, by the end of the day they just aren't so thrilled with the mash anymore and apples aren't the treat for awhile. I think they get tired of them and want something different. So the girls get a LOT of apple seeds without issues.
I read somewhere, long, long ago about not giving them citrus peels or rinds etc. Not sure about the onions, they usually don't bother with any onions that I have noticed. I give them anything that is left over from dinner that isn't going into the compost. They many times jump in the compost and help themselves. I've never had one sick from it that I know of. Macaroni & Cheese is one of their favorites.
As for apples, well, I have an apple tree in the chicken yard and it drops the apples before they are ripe and as they drop the chickens run over and eat it. When we press apples for cider in the fall the mash goes to the chickens. However, by the end of the day they just aren't so thrilled with the mash anymore and apples aren't the treat for awhile. I think they get tired of them and want something different. So the girls get a LOT of apple seeds without issues.
Okay, so we all kow that chickens will eat almost anything put in front of them. What about coffee grounds? Good, bad?
At one time or another over 60 years, we have thrown everything mentioned to our chickens, with no ill effects. I've never seen one eat a potato or citrus peel. I think they pretty well know what to leave alone. No point in taking chances, though, now that I know better.
My hens chase MICE! I caught a mouse in a feed bucket and just dumped it out in the hen house. It was more fun than watching middle school football! What scuffle over that mouse! There was nothing left when it was over.
My hens chase MICE! I caught a mouse in a feed bucket and just dumped it out in the hen house. It was more fun than watching middle school football! What scuffle over that mouse! There was nothing left when it was over.
I had a hen try to swallow a mouse WHOLE. I had to chase her down and pull the thing out by its tail because it was stuck in her throat!!My hens chase MICE! I caught a mouse in a feed bucket and just dumped it out in the hen house. It was more fun than watching middle school football! What scuffle over that mouse! There was nothing left when it was over.
Poor mousemachinist said:At one time or another over 60 years, we have thrown everything mentioned to our chickens, with no ill effects. I've never seen one eat a potato or citrus peel. I think they pretty well know what to leave alone. No point in taking chances, though, now that I know better.
My hens chase MICE! I caught a mouse in a feed bucket and just dumped it out in the hen house. It was more fun than watching middle school football! What scuffle over that mouse! There was nothing left when it was over.
uh... my chickens eat EVERYTHING... onions, potatoes, cat food, dog food, rabbit poop, peppers, the more they eat the more eggs i get.... oh and they love chicken! LOL
Ive never had chickens get sick from onion and taters, I don't seperate them from other kitchen veggie scraps.. Like said before it would take a lot to hurt them, they don't mess with them
Because they don't like them, mine free range all day so that have variety, if cooped up and that was all that was left then I reckon they'd try to eat it, from lack of options.. Then you may have problems.. Just my 2 cents.
Because they don't like them, mine free range all day so that have variety, if cooped up and that was all that was left then I reckon they'd try to eat it, from lack of options.. Then you may have problems.. Just my 2 cents.
Shouold have seen what happened to a vole that ran acrossed the chicken run. I am glad chickens are not bigger!I had a hen try to swallow a mouse WHOLE. I had to chase her down and pull the thing out by its tail because it was stuck in her throat!!
The only thing we do not feed our chickens are
raw eggs
unwashed (not baked) shells
raw potato skins (cooked are okay, tho)
potato, tomato and other nightshade greens (leaves)
The only thing I ever saw a chicken not try to eat is an Eastern tent caterpillar http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_tent_caterpillar
Mine won't touch them. They 'pillars are extremely high in either arsenic or cyanide.
raw eggs
unwashed (not baked) shells
raw potato skins (cooked are okay, tho)
potato, tomato and other nightshade greens (leaves)
The only thing I ever saw a chicken not try to eat is an Eastern tent caterpillar http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_tent_caterpillar
Mine won't touch them. They 'pillars are extremely high in either arsenic or cyanide.
My grounds go into the vege garden. I can't imagine chickens on a caffeine high! Talk about running around like a chicken with it's head cut off! LOLOkay, so we all kow that chickens will eat almost anything put in front of them. What about coffee grounds? Good, bad?
hmmm thats really interesting because I feed mine every leftover or scrap we have. I always have red onion in our salad and we dump the leftovers in to our chickens and the fight over the onion. It hasn't hurt them in 3 years now.
That is what I thought, but had to ask...My grounds go into the vege garden. I can't imagine chickens on a caffeine high! Talk about running around like a chicken with it's head cut off! LOL
Will they leave things like tomato/potato plants alone when they range a garden? Other poisonous plants?
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