[looe-looe-belle]

hello its me again can anyone tell me what is suitable green stuff for my hens? They ate some grass and dandelion leaves yesterday is this ok ? Many thanks

[poohpouri]

yes grass/dandelions okay, also spring greens, cabbage. our hens ignored spring greens to start with but love em now plus we let ours free range for a couple of hours and they eat grass etc, they also love peas ,I give mine peas still in their pods(home grown) and watch them get the peas out,also leaves from carrots

[Beano]

I'm sure I've heard that it's greens such as grass etc. that makes the yolks on free-ranging hens that lovely yellow colour. Ours love to graze and they thoroughly enjoy any greens. I've even given them radish with their tops. Lettuce might give them the runs though and rhubarb leaves are a no no.

[Jeanette]

Chickens will eat most things but don't give them citrus fruits or anything that is in the onion family.

[orchardlady]

Any green leafed vegetable that is suitable for humans uncooked is preferable, the same for fruit, potatoes cooked. If you search the forum there are lots of posts about foods. Happy hen keeping.

[evie2]

Ours have the veg peelings cooked( in the water from our veg) any of our left over veg and what they find themselves but only in the evening

[wolverine]

Ours get anything they can the love brocolli and peas they take ages to eat carrots and I'm not sure they can digest them because I find poos with bits of carrot in?? Anyone elsE had this ? 

[Honeysuckle]

Our ladies love spinach! They are also very partial to a cucumber and tomatoes!   

[lynnsb]

Beano you say rhubbarb leaves are a no no but when my chicks are out free ranging in the garden they have devoured our rhubbarb and seem to love it -there is no leaf left on it and it does not seem to hurt them-i thought the leaf was poisonous also, but they seem to love it.

Lynn

[Sylvester]

Spinach, mine love it and we can't eat all of ours so they help us out too! 

[EJCTM]

Beano you say rhubbarb leaves are a no no but when my chicks are out free ranging in the garden they have devoured our rhubbarb and seem to love it -there is no leaf left on it and it does not seem to hurt them-i thought the leaf was poisonous also, but they seem to love it.

Lynn

Rhubarb leaves have very high toxic levels of oxalic acid, that is the poison. It won't kill them straight away. It prevents the body absorbing calcium, which could be a real problem in laying birds. I am not sure what other effects it has, or how cumulative the oxalic acid is building up inside them, but I would definitely fence the rhubarb off. The leaves are so large, that it is likely the chickens are eating vast quantities for their size.

As an aside, avocado is highly toxic to all birds, so don't feed any kitchen leftovers that might contain this.

[evie2]

With rhubarb leaves, do the picked leaves hold more of the oxalic acid than growing ones as respiration has stopped?

[8doubles]

Chickweed is one of their favourites (hence the name) and in my garden it is promoted to 'fodder crop' instead of weed.

[Beano]

My chickens will make a b line for the rhubarb, given half the chance but I have fenced it off now.  It was on here that I learnt about how it effects the calcium intake. Just goes to show how educational as well as entertaining this site is.

[looe-looe-belle]

thank you everyone you have all been most helpful!