LJ's Chooks Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 Well I think i have managed to convince myself of a little urban myth..... i have had chooks for 3 years now, and have happily told my hubby and chicken sitters what ever happens dont give them tomatoes or raw potato. So tonight my sons nursery were about to throw out (cos they cant keep food) a huge bowl of plain pasta and a sweetcorn salad that had peppers, sweetcorn, cucumber and tomatoes chopped. I said I had 9 girls that would eat their way through hot coals for that other than the tomatoes that i would have to pick out and then wash the salad of the tomato juice..... but i picked out a few and thought i'd just check...... errrrr omlet says tomatoes are fine am i daft or what .... and why did i get it into my head that they couldnt have tomatoes?????????? Can they???? can someone set me straight and tell me to get a grip!! have i been missing out on 3years of disposed sweetcorn salad for no reason??????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 Tomatoes ar fine. Raw potato and avocado are a no no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Dav Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 My girls quite happily run to the greenhouse and demolish all my tomatoe plants. The leave the chillis alone though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJ's Chooks Posted September 15, 2010 Author Share Posted September 15, 2010 oh but great news as nursery have said i can have an endless supply of pasta, rice and sweetcorn they may need to have a chooky visitor or two to say thank you!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jill the potter Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 All mine love tomatoes, particularly Korma. But I have heard that pasta can get a bit ticky in their crops and cause problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 mine love tomatoes ripe or unripe given the chance the pick they're own they have eaten raw spuds too when they find any ground keeps that I've missed.they also stripped half a dozen spud plants in the spring of the leaves with no ill effects to them not sure about the spuds through as I've not knocked them out yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenNutter Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 Bizarrely, I have offered mine cherry tomatoes in the past, and they have not been in the slightest bit interested. Isn't it strange that some chooks refuse commonly accepted food - perhaps it is down to what you give them while they are young becomes a pattern for life. I never gave my girls tomatoes when I first got them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Millies Chicken Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 My chooks turn their beaks up at shop bought bland tasting toms but relish the sun ripened ones fresh from the green house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 Mine love tomatoes although they do prefer it if they're partially cut up for them first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madchickenlady Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 My girls keep raiding the cherry tomato plants in the greenhouse. Every so often I see them shaking, and then a rogue hen legs it with a tomato stuck to her beak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 Mine each have 2 cherry tomatoe each every morning, they love them and stand waiting for me to come down the path with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted September 18, 2010 Share Posted September 18, 2010 All my girls love tomatoes. Sometimes they get them cut up, sometimes whole. I found that when they are young and new to tomatoes, it's best to pierce the tomato or cut it in half first. Once they realise that the red balls are full of tomatoey goodness, they are happy to peck through the skin to get to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted September 18, 2010 Share Posted September 18, 2010 I believe it is tomato LEAFS which are poisonous to hens,not the fruits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJ's Chooks Posted September 18, 2010 Author Share Posted September 18, 2010 thanks everyone..... they are loving them, and they think they are just as much fun as grapes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester_H Posted September 18, 2010 Share Posted September 18, 2010 I believe it is tomato LEAFS which are poisonous to hens,not the fruits Really - oh dear - mine always start to peck the leaves through the veg plot neeting, when they're getting bored with Free ranging and want their treat to lure them back in their runs. I assumed they had an inbuilt sense of what was dangerous (I know sense and chicken is a difficult concept!!) but they are quite smart where food is involved. Anyone else heard this about the leaves ?? H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherbet Posted September 18, 2010 Share Posted September 18, 2010 Mine have been demolishing my tomatoes, they live up the top of the garden at the moment - eating all my cherry toms, and they have been eating the leaves as well, don't seem to have any ill effect! I boiled some potato peelings the other night and mixed in some porridge oats...they devoured this, they loved it...found something warming for them for the winter This forum is great for ideas...i have been 'recycling' their egg shells too, bake them in the oven for 15 mins, then crush them up in pestle & mortor and feed back to them in their food! I luv to recycle anything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grb944 Posted September 18, 2010 Share Posted September 18, 2010 Sainsbury's sell tiny tiny tomatoes..tomalino's or something...my girls love them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 Found this online: It's fine for your chickens to eat the fruits of tomato, but the leave contain a nasty toxin that can be harmful. Tomato leaves are very bitter so you'll fine chicken won't touch them very often, once tasted they tend to leave them alone. Potato leaves are the same too, as tomato and potato plants are related. Source(s): Poultry farm manager. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andynjanec Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 Spagetti=Very long worms Fussili= very fat worms canalonni= hollow worms tagliatelli- flat worms worms=mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! In fact mine must be Italian as they are scoffing all my figs and grapes!!!Thankfully I have a bumper crop this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisamumof4 Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 Mine LOVE tomatoes. They leave the leaves and plants themselves alone when FRing though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanTheDiver Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 Mine get all the split ones off of the tomato plants when I am harvesting mine. They fight for them, another game of chicken rugby starts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
