Don't worry too much about it - yes some of those might be poisonous if eaten - but they just don't eat anything which might harm them. Evolution is a wonderful thing!
Poorly chuck
- Thread starter hip chick
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Tweetypie
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It's a never ending job getting rid of weeds. The only advantage I found from this dry weather is that the weeds pull up easily. My front lawn, however currently looks like patchwork quilt.
bigyetiman
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Ours have never gone near the tomato plants, and they wont eat tomato's, but on one memorable occasion (for them) I forgot to remove the pepper plants out of their reach. Well to give them credit they did leave me the bare stalks. You are so right marigold evolution has endowed them with the ability to avoid poisonous plants, ours avoid our two jasmine plants as well Tweetypie
rick
Active member
Ive given up worrying about ivy. We have one boundary where the panel fence has disappeared in it to the point where to remove the ivy would be to remove the fence (if there is anything left of it in there.) Ive cut it to ground on our side several times without much effect. The hens pick off the young, tender shoots from the bottom so there is a bare strip to hen reach hight all the way along. It doesn't seem to give them any problems.
Our neighbour has several old apple trees in her garden, producing small and wormy bright red eating apples, which she leaves in a bowl at her gate. I'm rationing them for the hens, and they're eaten with much joy - they seem to like the maggot gratin.
My girls shade under the apple tree, and have enjoyed pecking at those which have fallen. Good to know re the ivy though as I also have a fence on one side which is covered, and as the neighbour wont trim it back on her side, its a never ending task of cutting it back
Ivy is actually a very desirable plant, home to many useful insects, and if it grows big enough to flower, it's a valuable source of early nectar for emerging insects and bumblebees. We have 'ivy trees' along one side of our boundary, where ancient hawthorns have become overgrown by ivy, making a good thatch inside for roosting and nesting birds. I cut it back hard over the winter and then it re-grows with lovely fresh light green leaves in spring. In the front garden the old fence is almost entirely supported by the ivy, and it looks a lot nicer than clean bare wood.
How's Hetty getting on? Fully recovered yet? It might be a good idea to collect most of the windfalls before they get to them, as an overdose of fruit may lead to poo problems again. My ration is about 1/2 an apple each or maybe 3 apples between the 5 of them as they're not very big apples.
How's Hetty getting on? Fully recovered yet? It might be a good idea to collect most of the windfalls before they get to them, as an overdose of fruit may lead to poo problems again. My ration is about 1/2 an apple each or maybe 3 apples between the 5 of them as they're not very big apples.
Hetty is fully recovered thankfully and has reclaimed her place within the pecking order. Amazing really considering I genuinely thought I was going to lose her this time last week. Im half way through their worming program also, which can only help. Im still not sure what caused her to be so poorly but thank you all for your help and responses on this thread. I do go down daily to collect fallen apples also and have learnt something too re not over feeding the fruit. They've had a good few days of just worming pellets so far, so im sure they'll be ready for some lovely mealworms come this weekend 
chrismahon
Well-known member
Seems likely that she was ill because of something she ate Hip Chick. We had a run of sick bantams which was traced to eating caterpillars which crawled into their run- only found out when I saw one eaten and the hen was ill the next morning.
Go easy on the apples as they have natural sugars which can upset their digestion, as can any fruit. Our previous neighbours had a free ranging regional breed (Black Gasconnes) and they didn't eat any fallen fruit at all, neither plums nor apples- must be due to their evolution.
Go easy on the apples as they have natural sugars which can upset their digestion, as can any fruit. Our previous neighbours had a free ranging regional breed (Black Gasconnes) and they didn't eat any fallen fruit at all, neither plums nor apples- must be due to their evolution.
chrismahon I'm inclined to think it was to do with the large caterpillar I found in the pen which caused the issues. Only other thing ive found which is new, is mushrooms growing in the garden, which we,ve never had before. Ive made a point of pulling them out when I find them, but we'll see how they go on when I let them out this weekend. Only a few more weeks before I can pick all the apples, but I think theyve only had the odd peck at them, nothing excessive
