newcountrygirl Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Just a quick question - can chickens eat rhubarb leaves? Wasn't sure if the may be poisonous to the girls so thought i'd check before giving them any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 My girls ate all my Dads rhubarb which he just planted and they were fine! (I didn't know I wasn't supposed to let them F/R ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newcountrygirl Posted April 12, 2011 Author Share Posted April 12, 2011 Like it. And i guess the girls did too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 You're right on both counts. Yes, it is supposed to be poisonous. And can they eat it ... I should say so, mine stripped the plant as soon as it showed a leaf! I would take steps either to protect the rhubarb or move it - my hens showed no ill-effects but it could be poisonous, and more to the point you won't get any rhubarb if you let them near it. I moved mine into the fenced-off veg patch and am enjoying rhubarb crumble for the first time this year since I got my hens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 OH stuck a cloche over our rhubarb to protect it from the chooks. Thing is we have 2 plants and the one in the open was ignored by the girls, but when the other plant grew too big for the cloche, I took it off. Yayyy go the chickens, tender leaves to eat. Since then they haven't touched it as the new leaves are much tougher. I was quite surprised they ate it as they haven't done so before, so can only guess it was because the plants were hardened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majuka Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Georgina was always very small and somehow managed to squeeze into the vegetable patch once, she only stripped one leaf before I found her in there. I was in such a panic because I'd heard that the leaves were poisonous. I had a look on here and it seems that several members hens have eaten it and survived to tell the tale. We built a wooden box to protect Georgie from the rhubarb (and vice versa!), she was the only one who has ever showed any interest in the rhubarb thankfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newcountrygirl Posted April 14, 2011 Author Share Posted April 14, 2011 Not sure now - I only asked because when I pick the rhubarb i would throw the leaves in the compost or bin so if the chooks were ok to eat it i would give them the leaves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Ah, I thought they were eating it straight from the plant! I definitely wouldn't give them the leaves in that case, just in case the 'poison' theory is true, and also in case they get a taste for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newcountrygirl Posted April 16, 2011 Author Share Posted April 16, 2011 Thanks Olly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
