Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => Chicken Chat => Topic started by: Zippy on April 06, 2011, 15:54

Title: Poultry and dandelions
Post by: Zippy on April 06, 2011, 15:54

I have been looking for an outlet for my many dandelions and have discovered that my neighbours' chickens devour dandelions by the bushel.

Can they be overfed on these weedy delicacies or do I go ahead and keep chucking them to the chucks along with the molluscs?

Title: Re: Poultry and dandelions
Post by: RichardA on April 06, 2011, 17:46

Ducks love them but I guess overlaod can occur with chucks or ducks-- spread out through day as fresh pulled plants but dont feed any stored up/wilted ones -- alternate with other greens and weeds such as chick weed, groundsel etc.

Title: Re: Poultry and dandelions
Post by: GrannieAnnie on April 06, 2011, 21:33

Our chooks love dandelions and they are good for them, but our friend n the village says that when he gives his girls dandelions, it gives them the runs!!! ???

Title: Re: Poultry and dandelions
Post by: Lindeggs on April 06, 2011, 22:52

Take a look at this thread:
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=73899.0

Apparently dandelions are a diuretic - in other words they suck fluid out of the gut and make the chicken expel it in their poo.

Before reading that thread I would have said give them as much as they can eat!  But now I would suggest being a little more cautious and balancing dandelions with other equally delicious weeds.

By the way I assume your neighbour knows of your chicken-feeding habits?  So if his/her hens start getting the runs at least there is an easy explanation!  :)

Title: Re: Poultry and dandelions
Post by: Zippy on April 06, 2011, 23:31

Oh yes - my plot neighbour has offered to help themselves to my dandelions to feed to their chucks so it will be monitored by the chucks' owner.