Plants poisonous to poultry
Poultry can be susceptible to poisons, including certain common plants. These include:
- Black nightshade
- Castor bean
- Clematis
- Corn cockle
- Henbane
- Laburnum seeds
- Meadow buttercup
- Most irises
- Oleander
- Potato sprouts
- Privet
- Ragwort
- Rapeseed
- Rhododendron
- Rhubarb leaves
- Some fungi
- St. John’s Wort
- Sweet pea
- Vetch
- Yew
Fortunately, most birds will avoid these plants by nature.
Blue-green algae can be quickly fatal, so don’t allow access to stagnant water and ensure that water containers are kept clean, especially in hot weather.
Obviously, chemicals such as rodenticides, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides will generally be bad for birds so keep them safely locked out of harm’s way and used with care, if you must use them at all.
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![Rosemary Champion](/images/authors/rosemary-champion-thumb.jpg)
About Rosemary Champion
Rosemary lives on a 12 acre smallholding in Angus, in the east of Scotland, where she keeps Ryeland Sheep, Shetland cattle and assorted poultry. She was destined to be a smallholder from an early age.
Further Reading
![]() Chicken & Eggs: River Cottage Handbook No.11 Mark Diacono | ![]() Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens Gail Damerow | ![]() A Beginners Guide to Caring for Ex-Batts Jo Barlow | ![]() Reinventing the Chicken Coop Matthew Wolpe | ![]() Chickens: The Essential Guide to Choosing and Keeping Happy, Healthy Hens Suzie Baldwin |
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