[Flowerpower136]

This isn't a toxic plant, but I've read that excess can cause diarrhoea in humans.

Anyone have any experience?  With their chickens eating it, I mean.

My new hen pen is clear at the moment, but ground elder will invade from one side in the spring.  Great if they can eat it for me, I've always had to battle to keep it clear in the past.

Other things that might self seed into the dry stone wall - ferns & welsh poppy, which I think are OK, and fox gloves, which I guess will have to be pulled out if I can get to it before they do?

Do chickens have any sense of what they should not eat?  I'm guessing not?

[Jane-M]

Well they have very definite ideas about what they will and won't eat, but whether it relates to its fitness to be eaten I couldn't say. Last summer my lot ate all the tomato plants with no ill effects, and I later found out that it should have killed them. Ho hum.

I don't actively stop them eating anything and they come to no harm.

Belmont Village eh? I know the Black Dog of old, my OH comes from Dunscar.

[snowflake]

My girls wont eat ground elder pity, I bring the weeds up from the lottie and they sort them out and leave what they dont like. Its like the rhubarb they have the leaves and I have the stalks , they wont touch the stalks , but love the leaves I found out its a natural wormer for them so they knew something I did not. Cleaver or what

[Debz]

My girls won't eat it either mores the pity!

[Flowerpower136]

Thanks for that, will wait and see what they make of it in spring.  I really was hoping they'd keep on top of it for me.   Maybe the leaf is too tough in its raw state. I know it is edible because I read that you can cook it like spinache (don't anyone try that, because I might have got it mixed with something else!).

I thought rhubarb leaves were poisonous!  Maybe just to worms ?  The area I've set aside for the run used to be my fruit garden.  Took me ages to dig out and move that rhubarb!!  Sounds like I could have left it in place.

Don't drink much in the Black Dog, but get the occasional good feed in there. We're up the top end by the big reservoir, and hoping hens aren't too bothered by midges.

Thanks for taking the time to reply

[joyfull]

I thought rhubard leaves were poisonous as well - in fact sure they are to us at least.

[Sparkle]

Hi
Shoudn't think ground elder is particularly bad for chucks - but I don't know for sure
I have noticed that they seem to leave the particularly toxic stuff anyway - the are cleverer than they seem perhaps!!
Anyway back to ground elder - I eat it all the time (young shoots) as a salad leaf or I cook it in quiches like spinach and it tastes great - you should try it!
Sparkle
I will try the rhubarb leaves for my girls though....

[Flowerpower136]

There you go.  It is edible!  I did read it, and not dream it afterall!  Can never be too sure these days.

If the girls don't eat it, I'll definately have a feed on it next year when it grows back through the fence. (I beat it back every spring with glyphosate, but obviously won't be doing that with hens around).

There are definately toxins of some sort in Rhubarb leaves.  So take care....... 

[parsleypig]

My girls eat the ground elder in their extended run with no ill effects.  There is no grass left so the elder is the only greenery left!