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Chickens with Nettles & Comfrey

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I have an area of garden where I grow nettles and comfrey. (I use them for their health qualities and as a fertiliser).

 

Is it safe for the chickens to be allowed near them? Or shall I block off that area?

 

They have started to be more adventurous with their free ranging and I was worried about the nettles in particular hurting them.

 

Take care all.

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I don't think it's a problem - I've got both in my garden. I haven't noticed whether they eat nettles, they certainly don't eat the comfrey, I wish they did because it spreads like mad.

 

They are generally pretty smart at knowing what they can and can't eat!

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Not sure about nettles and chickens, but nettles are supposed to be excellent things to put in a compost bin. There was a whole thread a while ago about comfrey and chickens. Comfrey is said to be very good at regulating bad chicken behaviour and also enables them to better convert the nutrients from the pellets or mash so they need to eat less of them, making it cheaper to feed chickens.....so they say....and if you can get them to eat them. I am going to grow comfrey this year and see if it works :roll:

 

Tessa

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Interesting about the behaviour.....how does that work....and what is the "dosage"? :lol:

 

Have no idea how it works :roll: It is supposed to stop pecking and bullying, maybe has some sort of herbal tranx effect? I will have to dig the book out and re-read the chapter. As for dosage, I don't think a chicken can overdose on comfrey, just get them to eat as much as possible. When I grow mine I am going to hang it up in the run :)

 

Tessa

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Comfrey is also known as knitbone if you ever get a bruise or a sprain boil it up and put it on the injured part (after cooling) and it really does take swelling down etc It also gets absorbed into your bloodstream and makes you feel calmer so maybe it does the same to chickens when they eat it :)

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Comfrey is also known as knitbone if you ever get a bruise or a sprain boil it up and put it on the injured part (after cooling) and it really does take swelling down etc It also gets absorbed into your bloodstream and makes you feel calmer so maybe it does the same to chickens when they eat it :)

 

Oooo my mum and I could do with that! we stress way to much...I wonder if I can feed her manic poodle a bucket full of it! :twisted::lol::pray:

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I read on here a few weeks ago that comfrey was good for hens - and apparently it converts their poo into even better compost. I have noticed that they have razed to the ground my clump of comfrey, before it has had much chance to grow this year!

 

Milly

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