[marp]

Hi  everyone,
I am new to this site although not to poultry keeping.  I kept hens for many years until a two legged fox took the lot!  Shortly after I re-stocked  a rogue ferret got in one night and killed all 24 growers.  Time to give up I decided.  After 15 years and a move to a larger house, I decided I could not be without them any longer.  In the spring I stocked up with 16 point of lay hens that have proved to be very hardy and wonderful egg layers.
At last my question:  I would like to free range them in a quarter acre of orchard that is under planted with snowdrops, aconites, daffodils, primroses, cowslips and bluebells.  I have not been able to find out if the flowers or leaves of any of these  would harm the hens.  I know daff. bulbs are poisonous but what about  the others?  Anyone know?

[muntjac]

lots of them if not most are but the chucks will soon leave them alone when they taste em ,, chucks aint daft  

[GrannieAnnie]

Munty's right, when we first put our last lot of POL's out in the big run, thye ate everything except the nettles and ragwort which I hadn't noticed was there under the weeds.

[Selkie]

ours leave the comfrey, nettles and ragwort; they love eating daisy flowers in the summer!

[marp]

Oh! thanks everyone, that's a great relief, I had hoped any self respecting hen would leave the bad plants alone,  but not having had chooks for so long I had forgotten how sensible they are!  
I am also feeding them organically and hope they don't get sprayed  in the Spring when they come to 'dose' the field behind us.
I had forgotten just how lovely and creamy fresh home grown eggs were.  I once treated myself to 6 supermarket free range organic eggs but they didn't taste a patch on these - I wonder why?

[WG.]

Is it the same with chooks as with horses ... you need to be careful if feeding them cut stuff since they might eat something without recognising it?

[SnooziSuzi]

Is it true that rhubarb leaves can help to clear up worms in chickens?

I don't remember where I read it, but it made sense, something to do with the acid in the leaves??

[muntjac]

its oxalic acid and i dont know its affects on chucks but i wouldnt be to quick to try it .i do know this works

 from the net


Boil 2-3 lbs. of Rhubarb leaves in about 3 litres of water for 30 minutes. (Use an Old pan for this)
Cool, strain and add about 3oz of soap.
Pour into a suitable sprayer and zap the aphids.
Do not use on edible plants and as with all insecticides keep safely out of the reach of children.

[Aunt Sally]

I've read that too on here Suzzi.  My chooks scoffed a half a rhubarb leaf between the two of them last week while up on the lottie (before I noticed) it did give them the squits a bit, but I guess that is the way it would clear any gut worms out.

The acid in it is oxalic.

[buddhabelly]

I'm very new to this site and i am currently in the process of acquiring a couple of chucks. After trawling through the many books and websites, at the final hour i find that clover is apparantly poisonous to hens! Fab! My lawn is pretty much covered in patches of the stuff. I read somewhere in this forum that they might choose not to eat it anyway....? Help!

[Lindeggs]

Clover?!  I have never heard that one.  My lawn is full of clover and my six pullets eat it very happily indeed.

As with all the previos posts, I just let my chickens eat what they want in the way of fresh green plants.  If the plants are growing in the garden and the chickens can recognise them for what they are, generally they will just eat what's good for them and leave the rest. 

But if the palnts are all chopped up, or if they are the only plants left in the run when all the edible stuff is gone, then the chickens may eat the poisonous ones out of confusion, hunger or boredom.

Clover in the lawn will be absolutely fine.