ISCA Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarahsausage Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoura Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 Grapes and sultanas etc are very toxic to dogs so maybe someone extrapolated that to chickens.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannablue Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ISCA Posted May 19, 2010 Author Share Posted May 19, 2010 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennydavies Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 Our dogs regularly share Charlie's wine with him, they've been alco's now for four years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewitall Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 20, 2010 Share Posted May 20, 2010 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ISCA Posted May 20, 2010 Author Share Posted May 20, 2010 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannablue Posted May 20, 2010 Share Posted May 20, 2010 I forgot to add I always chop my grapes up - usually into half or 3 depending on how big they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted May 20, 2010 Share Posted May 20, 2010 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollie333 Posted May 23, 2010 Share Posted May 23, 2010 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foot-tapper506 Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreveryoung Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicken bark Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreveryoung Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 oh no they wont have it all, the other halfs mine lol (like you said, all in moderation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreveryoung Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*mummy_hen* Posted May 26, 2010 Share Posted May 26, 2010 I don't think this can be true! Cut up grapes are a well known favourtie of chickens as far as i knew!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted May 26, 2010 Share Posted May 26, 2010 Posted this in another thread yesterday if it helps... http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsquid Posted May 26, 2010 Share Posted May 26, 2010 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenNutter Posted May 26, 2010 Share Posted May 26, 2010 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
