Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: darby on May 17, 2009, 07:35

Title: doomed - bark chippings
Post by: darby on May 17, 2009, 07:35
Could not get of to a worse start...not only will my hens die from Laburnum poisoning because i unknowingly built the run under a huge Laburnum tree , it turns out after advisement that the new run i have just built.could also harm them because i have covered the entire area with bark chippings....what next.....!!!
Title: doomed part 2
Post by: darby on May 17, 2009, 07:57
So i meant to ask,has anyone else used bark chippings without any problems..?
Title: Re: doomed
Post by: karlooben on May 17, 2009, 09:18
oh no thats so bad i feel sorry for you . mine are on bark chippings well actually its a mixture of bark etc etc an mine are all fine , .
Title: Re: doomed
Post by: poultrygeist on May 17, 2009, 11:06
Hi darby. Welcome  :)

I've merged your 2 topics so we don't get confused.  :)

Don't worry abotu bark chippings. There's a lot of "what ifs" and potentials for disaster but you'll find that most people use them.
If you have a roof over your run, they'll last a while. Best thing is to rake them out every few weeks and replace them. That way, they stay fairly fresh.

ROb 8)
Title: Re: doomed - bark chippings
Post by: rogerthefish on May 17, 2009, 12:10
 ::)
Hello Darby,
I have just started to keepp chickens and they have been on contact with bark chippings for several weeks and are doing fine.
Roger
Title: Re: doomed - bark chippings
Post by: AndyRVTR on May 17, 2009, 13:58
Mine have been on bark chippings and no problems at all... :D
Title: Re: doomed - bark chippings
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on May 17, 2009, 15:03
Mine have been on bark chippings for 2 years and no problems. Bad luck on the laburnum, hind sight is a wonderful thing and  we all learn from our mistakes.
Title: Re: doomed - bark chippings
Post by: Aunt Sally on May 17, 2009, 16:23
4 years here - what's wrong with bark chippings ?
Title: Re: doomed - bark chippings
Post by: bedifferent on May 17, 2009, 16:31
My chooks have been on bark chipps for ever and they love em. No probs.

I think there is sposed to be some theoretical risk of poisening them due to whatever the chipps are treated with.

How dangerous to chooks is laburnum? My chooks have been wandering around in the garden with my laburnum dropping bits and bobs all over the shop.
Title: Re: doomed - bark chippings
Post by: Hensington on May 17, 2009, 17:46
The problem is that bark sometimes can harbour  toxic mould spores. As you can see from previous replies the reality seems to be that a lot of folk keep chooks on bark without problems.
Title: Re: doomed - bark chippings
Post by: poultrygeist on May 17, 2009, 18:12
We've debated poinsonous plants with chickens before and it seems that they know what to leave alone as long as the first nibble doesn't do for them  :unsure:

Most poisons are very bitter so they are left alone. But there's always one who's a bit slow on the uptake and can chomp away until it's too late  ::)

Rob 8)
Title: Re: doomed - bark chippings
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on May 17, 2009, 18:50
Good luck Darby. Welcome to an obsession!
Title: Re: doomed - bark chippings
Post by: Bruced on May 17, 2009, 19:15
there's always one who's a bit slow on the uptake and can chomp away until it's too late  ::)

Rob 8)

Natural selection at work...
Title: Re: doomed - bark chippings
Post by: poultrygeist on May 17, 2009, 19:18
there's always one who's a bit slow on the uptake and can chomp away until it's too late  ::)

Rob 8)

Natural selection at work...

Indeed  :D  Hopefully, they'll have adapted to not eating the wrong things by now. Although laburnum may not be native to the jungles of asia  :D

Rob 8)
Title: Re: doomed - bark chippings
Post by: Bruced on May 17, 2009, 19:32
Mine seem to be OK when surrounded by Rhododendron, Azalea, rhubarb and bracken, all of which I know aren't good for them, plus pieris, crinodendron and pernittia, whcih I suspect are also poisonous. They haven't been near any of them but my forsythia is looking significantly less luscious than it was :)
Title: Re: doomed - bark chippings
Post by: Sparr0wman on May 17, 2009, 19:46
Mine seem to be OK when surrounded by Rhododendron,

How bad is this for them. i have a large one ( arn't they always?)
Title: Re: doomed - bark chippings
Post by: withnail on May 17, 2009, 20:20
Mine seem to be OK when surrounded by Rhododendron, Azalea, rhubarb and bracken, all of which I know aren't good for them, plus pieris, crinodendron and pernittia, whcih I suspect are also poisonous. They haven't been near any of them but my forsythia is looking significantly less luscious than it was :)
mine seem to happily chomp away on rhubarb leaves growing in my garden, they appear to have no ill effects from them so far. they seem to always take out a few chunks when they are near by

should i keep them from eating it ? :?