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Garden
Chickens
The girls became part of the Ray family on Saturday- April 23. We adopted two
Barred Rock and four Rhode Island Reds, hopefully all pullets- time will tell.
The two Barred Rock chicks are about two weeks old and the Rhode Island Reds are
one week old. We have them keeping warm in Harvey's (our angora bunny) old
hutch. So far they are very well received. The kids are just in love with them,
Harvey does not care much either way.
We have been thinking of adding chickens to our family for some time now. We
already compost with worms and wanted to add one more way to reduce the amount
of food waste as well as have local farm fresh eggs. Chickens can eat a variety
of food scraps (more than worms). See the list of table scraps for chickens
below.
As gardeners, we have a tendency to want to plant, plants for food, shelter,
or shade for our "pets" but you want to be sure that you will not be causing
more harm than help. With lots of vegetable and berry options for your standard
garden, you might be more cautious about in or around where your chickens will
have access. Not only are some plants toxic, some plants and bushes attack
predatory and or bothersome animals like snakes and mice. For example- You might
think of landscaping around your chicken run with fruit bushes to offer the
girls shade, and an afternoon berry snack- but the bush will attract birds that
could attract snakes and provide them a place to hide to go after the girls.
If you plan to let you chickens free-range- there are some plants that can be
toxic (may be allergic) for them. Below is a short list of plants to avoid, this
is in no way a list of ALL the plants, so please consult your vet. And yes, some
of the plants on the list may be over zealous, but my motto is better safe than
sorry.
Potentially Toxic Plants for Chickens
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)
American Coffee Berry Tree see Kentucky Coffee Tree
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis L.)
Bouncing Bet (Saponaria officinalis L.)
Bull Nettle (Solanum carolinense L.)
Bracken or Brake Fern (Pteridium aquilinum L.)
Burning Bush see Fireweed
Buttercup (Ranunculus spp.)
Carelessweed see Pigweed
Castor Bean (Ricinus communis L.)
Clover, Alsike & Other Clovers (Trifolium hybridum L. & other
species)
Cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium L.)
Creeping Charlie see Ground Ivy
Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii)
Curly Dock (Rumex crispus L.)
Daffodil (Narcissus spp.)
Delphinium (Delphinium spp.)
Devil's Trumpet see Jimson Weed
Dogbane (Apocynum spp.)
Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria (L.) Bernh.)
Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis L.)
English Ivy (Hedera helix L.)
Ergot (Claviceps purpurea (Fr.) Tul.)
Fern, Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum L.)
Fireweed (Kochia scoparia L.)
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea L.)
Ground Ivy (Glecoma hederacea L.)
Hemlock
Poison (Conium maculatum L.)
Water (Cicuta maculata L.)
Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)
Horse Chestnut, Buckeyes (Aesculus hippocastanum L.)
Horse Nettle (Solanum carolinense L.)
Horsetails (Equisetum arvense L. & other species)
Hyacinth (Hyacinth orientalis)
Hydrangea (Hydrangea spp.)
Ivy
English (Hedera helix L.)
Ground (Glecoma hederacea L.)
Poison (Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze)
Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema spp.)
Jamestown Weed see Jimson Weed
Japanese Yew (Taxus cuspidata Sieb. & Zucc.)
Jerusalem Cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum L.)
Jimson Weed (Datura stramonium L.)
Kentucky Coffee Tree (Gymnocladus dioica (L.) K. Koch)
Kentucky Mahagony Tree see Kentucky Coffee Tree
Klamath Weed see St. Johnswort
Lamb's Quarters (Chenopodium album L.)
Lantana (Lantana camara L.)
Larkspur (Delphinium spp.)
Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis)
Lupine (Lupinus spp.)
Mad Apple see Jimson Weed
Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum L.)
Milkweed, Common (Asclepias syriaca L.)
Mint, Purple (Perilla frutescens)
Nicker Tree see Kentucky Coffee Tree
Nightshade (Solanum spp.)
Oleander (Nerium oleander L.)
Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra Willd.)
Philodendron (Philodendron spp.)
Pigweed (Amaranthus spp.)
Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum L.)
Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze)
Poke (Phytolacca americana L.)
Purple Mint (Perilla frutescens)
Redroot see Pigweed
Rhododendron (Rhododendron spp.)
Rhubarb (Rheum rhaponticum L.)
Squirrelcorn (Dicentra canadensis (Goldie) Walp.) see Dutchman's
Breeches
Staggerweed (Dicentra spp.) see Dutchman's Breeches
St. Johnswort (Hypericum perforatum L.)
Stink Weed see Jimson Weed
Stump Tree see Kentucky Coffee Tree
Sudan Grass (Sorghum vulgare var. sudanense Hitchc.)
Summer Cypress see Fireweed
Thorn Apple see Jimson Weed
Tulip (Tulipa spp.)
Water Hemlock (Cicuta maculata L.)
White Snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum Hout.)
Wild Onion (Allium spp.)
Yellow Sage see Lantana
Resource-Veterinary Medicine Library, University of Illinois,
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Photos of some of the more common to Texas toxic plants- so you can see what to avoid.
 Black Locust
Robinia pseudoacacia |
 Black nightshade
Solanum nigrum |
 Bladderpod, bag pod
Sesbania besicaria |
 Castor Bean
Ricinus communis |
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Food scraps for Chickens- sharing your leftover table food to help provide
supplemental food for your chickens while reducing the amount of food waste and
trash. I am not a vet- these lists are based on research online and in ag.
publications. Your chicken may or may not like the following. Please check with
your vet.
Table Food NOT to
Share with Chickens
Raw green potato peels-They contain the toxic
substance called Solanine.
Salty Foods- Can cause salt poisoning.
Citrus Foods
Dried, undercooked, Raw, Beans- They contain a poison called hemaglutin,
very toxic to birds.
Avocado Skin and/or Pit
Raw eggs
Sugar, Candy, Chocolates, etc |
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Photo's of our chicks
 Rhode Island Red chicks sleeping and keeping warm on Easter morning. (Day 2)
 Pullet Chicks April 25, 2011 living in Harvey's (our bunny) old hutch with a
heat lamp. 
Harvey visiting with the chicks May 1, 2011. They are getting big already.
 First day in coop yard. May 30, 2011. The girls have doubled in size and each
have their own very special personality!
 June 16, 2011- And then there were 4. After hours of crying- the four (not six)
girls came inside for some coop re-configuration. We unfortunately had a predator that was smarter than us.
 July 3, 2011- coop renovations went well- knock on wood. Omelet decided to get a
better look of the yard today. Buttercup yelling up to her to be careful.
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