Chicken bald back

[ISCA]

I have just read in another post that grapes are apparently "toxic" if fed to chickens! I just bought some grapes for them yesterday- typical! I have also read that several others feed dried fruits to their hens. Does drying remove the toxins? Where is the evidence grapes are toxic?

 

Can't seem to find anything searching Google so any advice would be appreciated. thanks.

 

I may just have to eat those grapes myself

[Tony]

My girls go wild for sultanas which are dried grapes and they are all fine.

 

I personally can't see how grapes are toxic to hens but I'll stop feeding them until someone gives a definitive answer.

[Sarahsausage]

What poppycock!! I've been feeding my girls grapes for over 2 years (as a treat) and they're still alive! I guess if they're covered in pesticides they might be but give them a good rinse and they'll be fine!

[Tony]

What poppycock!!

 

That's what I thought. Never fed fresh grapes but my girls love sultanas and they've never shown any ill effects.

 

One of my girls was off colour for a few days due to, well I'm assuming it was due to pecking rhubarb leaves which I know are toxic but she fine now.

 

I know the fermented juice of the grape can be very disorientating and seriously interfere with motor skills but I always save that as a treat for myself rather than give it to the chickens. Hic!

[shoura]

Grapes and sultanas etc are very toxic to dogs so maybe someone extrapolated that to chickens....

[dannablue]

My girls have had grapes as a treat from the start and also love sultanas. They dont get them every day but when they do there is never any ill effect. Everything in moderation and they should be fine.

[ISCA]

I may have to share them then

 

Never knew grapes were considered poisonous for dogs! Mine ate them frequently and lived til he was 15!

[The Dogmother]

As I said on t'other thread, I've never heard of them begin toxic to hens, but they are definitely poisonous for dogs... grapes, sultanas, raisins... the whole lot.

[jennydavies]

Our dogs regularly share Charlie's wine with him, they've been alco's now for four years

[sewitall]

Interesting article here:

www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pubs/fls/OCRPDF/FLS-006.pdf

 

I won't personally be feeding any whole grapes to my chickens in case one gets stuck in the crop and causes an impaction.

[Egluntyne]

I don't generally give grapes to my chickens, but on the odd occasion that I have a few wizened ones left, I do. But I halve them first, because of the risk of them getting stuck in the oesophagus.

 

I don't buy this notion of grapes being toxic to chickens. Birds who live in the parts of the world when grapes grow naturally aren't lying dead in piles because of grape toxicity, and physiologically, I dare say a chicken is quite different to a dog.

[ISCA]

Well they survived eating a half dozen chopped pieces of grape! The grapes were so tasty I ate all the rest myself Well they have their new growers chicken pellets, that should suffice

[dannablue]

I forgot to add I always chop my grapes up - usually into half or 3 depending on how big they are.

[Toots]

Sorry guys it was my post that origioally started that a vet told me about grapes being bad for chickens.

 

I did say that there are alot of people that feed alot of grapes (i believe someone lets their chickens eat any grapes they can reach from their grape vines)

 

Just convaying what i was told by my avian vet.

[Mollie333]

I've been feeding my girls grapes, and raisians(which are mixed with corn) since december 09.. there still alive.. i cut them up into little peices.. so they dont actually get stuck in there.

[Foot-tapper506]

I also give my hens grapes finely chopped as a treat sometimes and they gobble them up, but they dont touch sultanas or raisins unless they are soaked in water! picky little minxes (I discovered this as I always soak raisins for the blackbirds this time of year and the hens fought over the ones knocked off the bird table) I tried water melon last week and they just ate the seeds and left the melon

[foreveryoung]

I also give my hens grapes finely chopped as a treat sometimes and they gobble them up, but they dont touch sultanas or raisins unless they are soaked in water! picky little minxes (I discovered this as I always soak raisins for the blackbirds this time of year and the hens fought over the ones knocked off the bird table) I tried water melon last week and they just ate the seeds and left the melon

 

 

ooo mine LOVE water melon lol....... gonna buy a whole one and just cut in half

[chicken bark]

I also give my hens grapes finely chopped as a treat sometimes and they gobble them up, but they dont touch sultanas or raisins unless they are soaked in water! picky little minxes (I discovered this as I always soak raisins for the blackbirds this time of year and the hens fought over the ones knocked off the bird table) I tried water melon last week and they just ate the seeds and left the melon

 

 

ooo mine LOVE water melon lol....... gonna buy a whole one and just cut in half

 

I read somewhere that too much water melon is very dangerous. I think it turns to water in their crop and spills over into their lungs or something.

 

I'm too nervous to give mine water melon but I think everything in moderation can't be that bad.

 

Sorry - haven't put this to worry people.

[foreveryoung]

oh no they wont have it all, the other halfs mine lol (like you said, all in moderation

[Chook n Boo Mum]

I also give my hens grapes finely chopped as a treat sometimes and they gobble them up, but they dont touch sultanas or raisins unless they are soaked in water! picky little minxes (I discovered this as I always soak raisins for the blackbirds this time of year and the hens fought over the ones knocked off the bird table) I tried water melon last week and they just ate the seeds and left the melon

 

 

ooo mine LOVE water melon lol....... gonna buy a whole one and just cut in half

 

I read somewhere that too much water melon is very dangerous. I think it turns to water in their crop and spills over into their lungs or something.

 

I'm too nervous to give mine water melon but I think everything in moderation can't be that bad.

 

Sorry - haven't put this to worry people.

 

Ooo I didn't know that, my lot had 3/4 of a watermelon between 9 of them and the other 1/4 between the 3 non-broody bantams the other day & all that was left was the dark green shell in each run.......maybe I should adopt a "moderation" approach

 

Re the dog/toxin reports, I was told by a vet the dried fruit was more toxic than fresh grapes.......after my Lab had devoured a small un-iced Christmas cake She's fine by the way...should actually be very dead given what she's eaten in her time, but fighting fit and healthy

 

Sha x

[foreveryoung]

Ooo I didn't know that, my lot had 3/4 of a watermelon between 9 of them and the other 1/4 between the 3 non-broody bantams the other day & all that was left was the dark green shell in each run.......maybe I should adopt a "moderation" approach

 

Re the dog/toxin reports, I was told by a vet the dried fruit was more toxic than fresh grapes.......after my Lab had devoured a small un-iced Christmas cake She's fine by the way...should actually be very dead given what she's eaten in her time, but fighting fit and healthy

 

Sha x

 

 

haha Labs are a hazard to themselves lol

[*mummy_hen*]

I don't think this can be true! Cut up grapes are a well known favourtie of chickens as far as i knew!!

[Tony]

Posted this in another thread yesterday if it helps...

 

http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart

[docsquid]

Mine get grapes cut in half, and love them. Never had any problem with them. I usually check their crops when I put them in at night, in case they are either very full, or alternatively empty, in which case I'd be worried they hadn't eaten enough.

 

I think we worry a bit much about our chooks. Ours eat all sorts of unsavory things, including cat sick

[chickenNutter]

Interesting article here:

http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pubs/fls/OCRPDF/FLS-006.pdf

 

I won't personally be feeding any whole grapes to my chickens in case one gets stuck in the crop and causes an impaction.

 

Eeek! wine toxicity in chickens

 

My chickens can flippin well keep their wings of my wine! I don't share my Pinot grigio with anyone! I prefer to be toxic all by myself!