Rhubarb Question

[country chic]

My girls have been munching the Rhubarb leaves, is this safe for them to do ? I thought they were poisonous.

[elizajay]

Mine eat rhubarb and potato leaves, both poisonous all the time. Seems to do them no harm and I believe that the poisons are a natural wormer for them.

[Suechooks]

My chooks tend to eat the rhubarb leaves at this time of year but not so much in Spring/summer when its growing. They have been doing this for several years with no obvious ill effects.

[mr darcy]

two of my friends hens died from eating them, so i don't let mine just in case!!

[Sheila D]

Mine ate 2 whole rhubarb plants in a few days - did them no harm at all.

[Nicos]

I wonder if the time of year when they are eaten makes a difference??

There's much more acid in the plants now...perhaps they are sort of OK eating it in Spring/early summer???

It'd be interesting to know which month it was when the chooks died/were ill from eating it!

[country chic]

Well they have now demolished the rhubarb with no ill effects.

[tlck9]

Rhubarb is a natural wormer in small doses, however my vet had to deal wth one of my chicks, who un beknown to me was nipping the edges of the rhubarb plant and became very ill.

I would say rather than be sorry to avoid contact with rhubarb, in fact, I am moving mine from the netted area to the other end of the allotment to ensure they dont go near it again