Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: MidlandBrewer on February 10, 2017, 20:43
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With summer coming and the hopefull end of the free ranging ban im starting to get the free range are of my garden ready.
I have a large number of wild hops in the hedge that I imagine will come back with the warm weather.... I know there bad for a large number of domestic animals and ive heared they can kill a dog if they eat to many ( not sure if this is true )....
Will the hops be bad for my ladies or wont they be interested in them? Itll be a bit of a task to locate all the plants this early on but if they need digging out the health of my ladies always comes first.
Any input and advice is appreciated.
David
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Hops are toxic to dogs, but I'm not sure chickens are affected by them, or will be interested. Mine have access to foxgloves, ivy, lily of the valley and various other toxic plants when out in the garden, but they don't touch them.
Sometimes mine seem to focus on a plant. I've given up trying to grow hostas and they had a thing for native violets last year, but for the main part it is the grass they are interested in :)
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I've an ornamental golden hop and they have no interest in it at all. I think the leaves might be too rough and tough. Though having said that they rip into borrage and that's a similar texture.
Sorry dont know if toxic.
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Though having said that they rip into borrage and that's a similar texture.
Do they. That's interesting as it self sows on my plot and I could bring some home for them this summer as greens :)
Hens do seem to know what is edible and what is not. Borage can be eaten as a veg but the general hairiness and coarseness has always put me off harvesting anything but the flowers. Maybe they will leave my violets alone if I bring them borage ..... fat chance :nowink: :lol: