I noticed a post about plants that are harmful to Hen's, but I cannot find
it now.

If anyone knows of any plants that can harm hen's etc, I would be really
grateful.

My brother & sister in law have just got some hen's and a cockerel, they let
them wander all over the place and they are about to start growing veg and
herbs etc, I thought it would be good to let them know of any possible
dangers.

Thanks in advance.

Rosie.

"Kelrosie" wrote in message
...
I noticed a post about plants that are harmful to Hen's, but I cannot find
it now.

If anyone knows of any plants that can harm hen's etc, I would be really
grateful.

My brother & sister in law have just got some hen's and a cockerel, they
let
them wander all over the place and they are about to start growing veg and
herbs etc, I thought it would be good to let them know of any possible
dangers.

The dangers will ALL be to the vegetables. And some flowers if there are
any.

Our hens had the run of the garden when we first had them. We quickly
learned that there were many annual flowers and some perennials which they
loved. They can't do much harm to bushy things. Nothing they're prepared to
eat is bad for them. We learned not to grow those things which they ruined -
by eating and digging up. When I planted spring bulbs in the autumn I made a
chicken wire screen to cover the bed. We now have the first glorious display
of spring flowers we've had for years. We also had to make netting hurdles
to go round each of the small vegetable plots until some of the veggies were
big enough to stand up for themselves. They included brassica (although the
hens will eat some mature leaves and flowers), runner beans and potatoes.

Small plants don't stand a chance. If the hens don't eat them (as they do
with lettuce) they scratch them up in their quest for underground edibles.

We also learned never, ever, even in winter, to leave the greenhouse door
open. Our two darlings would kill to get into there. When it was really hot
last year, apart from the automatic vents and louvres, we put a frame of
mesh over the open door.

So poultry are ruinous to pretty gardens. But they give a lot of pleasure,
their characters are all different, it's great fun just to watch them. They
clear all sorts of pests (including snails and some slugs) and gently
fertilise the ground. I know their deposits are very strong but they don't
do it all in the same place and have raised the fertility of our garden -
which is why we decided to have a go at vegetables again! The litter from
their coop is wonderful in the compost bin - but an open compost heap will
be demolished in very short order. Then there are the eggs ..

.... and chicks if there's a cockerel. I hope your brother is prepared for
other issues ...

He'll probably also get more wild birds because hens are messy eaters and
scatter grain. They're messy anyway.

I wouldn't be without ours. We go away for many weekends and they go with
us. Well, we don't have a dog.

Mary




Thanks in advance.

Rosie.

Just had a thought - why not ask on sci.agriculture.poultry ?

Mary

Mary Fisher wrote:

"Kelrosie" wrote in message
...
I noticed a post about plants that are harmful to Hen's, but I cannot find
it now.

Hardly any is the answer. Hens are far too sensible to eat anything much that
harms them.
Google newsgroups is your friend - your can get any Usenet thread in their
archives.

The dangers will ALL be to the vegetables. And some flowers if there are any.

Ours never do much harm to any flowers fruit or veg. They do scatter bark mulch
all over the place and are very funny under blackcurrent and jostaberry bushes
jumping up to pinch the fruit. We had one that could even convincingly fly
(about 8' straight up from a standing start) - the others all fly like bricks.

Our hens had the run of the garden when we first had them. We quickly
learned that there were many annual flowers and some perennials which they
loved. They can't do much harm to bushy things. Nothing they're prepared to
eat is bad for them. We learned not to grow those things which they ruined -

You must have been unlucky then. Ours have the run of th egarden and never been
much into digging. But then the soil here is heavy clay. They scrat around quite
happily under the bushes.

So poultry are ruinous to pretty gardens. But they give a lot of pleasure,
their characters are all different, it's great fun just to watch them. They
clear all sorts of pests (including snails and some slugs) and gently
fertilise the ground. I know their deposits are very strong but they don't
do it all in the same place and have raised the fertility of our garden -

And they enjoy eating up all the various kitchen scraps.

which is why we decided to have a go at vegetables again! The litter from
their coop is wonderful in the compost bin - but an open compost heap will
be demolished in very short order. Then there are the eggs ..

Fresh eggs are gorgeous. Ours are pampered and kept more like pets.
Beware of the critters that eat poultry though - they fit through amazingly
small gaps.
(much much more of a risk to them than toxic plants)

... and chicks if there's a cockerel. I hope your brother is prepared for
other issues ...

He'll probably also get more wild birds because hens are messy eaters and
scatter grain. They're messy anyway.

I wouldn't be without ours. We go away for many weekends and they go with
us. Well, we don't have a dog.

We have well trained neighbours who feed them for a small return in eggs and
duty free...
Keeping poultry is much more popular in Belgium - even in central Brussels!

Regards,
Martin Brown

And they enjoy eating up all the various kitchen scraps.

We don't have table scraps and vegetable peelings etc. go in the compost.

which is why we decided to have a go at vegetables again! The litter
from
their coop is wonderful in the compost bin - but an open compost heap
will
be demolished in very short order. Then there are the eggs ..

Fresh eggs are gorgeous. Ours are pampered and kept more like pets.

So are ours.

Beware of the critters that eat poultry though - they fit through
amazingly
small gaps.
(much much more of a risk to them than toxic plants)

Indeed. We've spent a lot of time and money making a fox-proof fence, we've
lost too many hens to Reynard.

... and chicks if there's a cockerel. I hope your brother is prepared
for
other issues ...

He'll probably also get more wild birds because hens are messy eaters
and
scatter grain. They're messy anyway.

I wouldn't be without ours. We go away for many weekends and they go
with
us. Well, we don't have a dog.

We have well trained neighbours who feed them for a small return in eggs
and
duty free...

Oh but we WANT them to come with us - and since we are usually being
mediaeval they fit in very well. Why should someone else have the pleasure
of them?

I think our hens are typical, all the hens I've ever known have scratched
for food, even though they are very well fed. Our daughter has a lot of free
range hens and she's had to create vegetable runs too.

Mary

Mary Fisher wrote:

Fresh eggs are gorgeous. Ours are pampered and kept more like pets.

So are ours.

Beware of the critters that eat poultry though - they fit through amazingly
small gaps.
(much much more of a risk to them than toxic plants)

Indeed. We've spent a lot of time and money making a fox-proof fence, we've
lost too many hens to Reynard.

It isn't foxes that are a problem for us (though there are lots of them around).
The real threat here comes from stoats and mink which are tiny and fit through
holes not much more than 1" diameter but pack a lethal punch. Stoats steal the
eggs but will kill a hen given the chance. And in Spring when hens may be broody
they are - forgive the expression "sitting ducks" and get their heads lopped off
(not nice).

We have well trained neighbours who feed them for a small return in eggs and

duty free...

Oh but we WANT them to come with us - and since we are usually being
mediaeval they fit in very well.

What fun!

Regards,
Martin Brown

Thanks for that Mary, I will look at that.

Rosie

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
t...
Just had a thought - why not ask on sci.agriculture.poultry ?

Mary