[Chrissie]

Hi there,

I think I might have a problem: our neighbour treated her nettles with a one off 'roundup' weedkiller yesterday - this afternoon I noticed that the wind had blown our flimsy gate open and the chickens where in her paddock (usually not a problem) foraging around the nettles, presumably picking up the dead bugs around the treated area....I am quite concerned now about the hens health and the eggs - do we need to discard the eggs for a while (maybe I am over paranoid but also breastfeeding an 8 week old so don't want any remnants in my body)? Hens seem fine so far....

Any advice?

Thanks,
Chrissie.

[HesterF]

I think it should be fine. I did our fenceline last week and let the birds forage the next day. According to the packaging, once it's dry, it's OK. I presume it's been absorbed by the plant and it will be specific to kill the plant rather than anything else  .

H

[Chrissie]

Thanks 

[shygirl]

I wouldn't eat the eggs for a few weeks if I was breastfeeding, just to be safe. just give them to the neighbour 
I lost a lamb after our neighbour was pouring undiluted strong weedkiller into his field to kill the docks. not sure what type it was though.

[Steph Hen]

I think it would be safe.

The safety data for roundup was fudged, it may be more harmful to some mammals (possible humans) than was first assumed. In areas where it is used a lot, think it was Brazil where gm roundup ready soy is grown, birth defects in babies in villages are statistically higher. There was a paper I read about the wives of sprayer men in USA, (they handle and wash the dirty clothes and end up with a cocktail in their bodies) think they also had more baby problems.
that said, within EU it is not uncommon for cereal fields and o s r fields to be killed off with roundup to ensure even ripening, and better combining. So there's a decent amount roundup in flours, maltings, and animal feed already. This is what makes me think it'll be perfectly safe; there's a reasonable chance that your birds eggs and shop eggs are laid by birds that are fed grain that has been sprayed with roundup. Unless everything you buy is all organic. There was a paper published last spring looking at concentrations of pesticides in urine from European people. Can't remember it now, but Roundup featured in most samples, think it was sometimes higher than recommended level, and that level was higher than the perceived safe threshold, which the authors discovered had been fudged anyway.
 I researched this last year as was trying to conceive and wanted to know if I was ok spraying large areas myself. I decided not the amount I wanted to do, but still used it a bit in smaller areas.

[roddycm]

Should be fine. Once Its dry there is no problems. My pregnant ewes once got into a field I'd sprayed the docks in and ate them... I was worried but all was fine and they all lambs normally etc.