Common Weeds Chickens Can Eat & 12 Poisonous Weeds To Avoid

If you’re a hobby farmer with a flock of chickens, you may wonder if your feathered friends can eat weeds. The answer is yes. Chickens can eat many types of weeds, and it’s a cost-effective and nutritious way to supplement their diet. Here are some common benefits of feeding your chickens weeds:

• Cost Savings: Chickens love to munch on weeds, and it’s a great way to save on feed costs.
• Nutrition: Weeds contain many essential vitamins and minerals that benefit your chicken’s diet.
• Natural, Cost-Effective Weed Control, not to mention the extra time you can spend enjoying your yard instead of laboring to combat weeds. Let those chickens out to play and do some of the work for you.
• Foraging: Feeding chickens weeds encourages natural foraging behavior and keeps them active and healthy.
• Added Benefits like tick and grub control in your yard; natural fertilizer as chickens forage.
• Healthy and Happy Chickens

If Chickens Free Range How Can You Save On Chicken Feed?

As your chickens forage for fun and feed, they are filling up on valuable and nutritious feed from weeds, plants, and even protein from bugs like ticks, grubs, snails, worms, and more. Now with the help of the backyard birds you enjoy, your poultry friends will be helping keep you from these annoying bugs.

They will still need a quality, well-balanced diet in their coop daily; however, during ‘weed seasons,’ you’ll find your feed costs can reduce by 25-50% depending on how much your flock is allowed to free range.

Supplement Your Chickens’ Feed For Free Even If They Don’t Free Range

If your chickens are contained in a coop and run, you can still provide them with the benefits of weeds. Cut or pull the weeds and toss them into the run for your chickens to forage on this free food source. This is a great way to keep them active and engaged, even when they can’t roam freely.

All chickens love when you feed weeds to them as healthy treats. Luckily most weeds are drought tolerant, so you won’t need to ‘water your weeds’ for the sake of your feathered friends.

When feeding weeds growing from your yard into your flock’s pen, remember to offer these in moderation, feeding a delicious treat or two at a time. Then wait a day or two between giving them more to be sure they adjusted well to the new addition to their diet.

Get rid of those Pesky Weeds In Your Yard; free Labor

If you have a flock of free-ranging chickens, why not let them earn their keep by eating up those dandelion plants, sweet Clover, and other weeds? So many free edible sources are in your backyard, waiting for your poultry to devour them.

Skip paying extra money for lawn chemicals this year or a hired professional to do this for you and let your chickens eat up all that nutritious goodness for free plus, you’ll save on feed costs and get free fertilizer in the process.

Bee Balm

This hardy perennial plant is not a weed but grows like one. Bee Balm is easy and hard to maintain but is not considered weeds. This plant is grown purposefully by many homeowners and backyard enthusiasts for its ability to deter mosquitoes.

Chickens not only enjoy the petals and leaves of these plants to munch upon when freshly foraged or cut, but they also enjoy them when dried. This is one of those multi-purpose plants that can also help by adding to your hen’s nesting boxes. This plant offers ‘calming’ properties similar to lavender.

Consider adding this to your dust baths (when dried) for their antiseptic value and mosquito control.

Bee Balm has the added benefit of providing antibacterial properties that, shared with your chicken, can aid overall health.

You can plant this amazing bee balm plant easily from seed and enjoy any color or combination of colors. They come in all sorts of shades of pink and purple.

Chickweed, Henbit, and Fat Hen Weeds

As the names suggest, these weeds got their names because of the love chickens have for foraging upon these weeds.

Chickweed is packed with vitamins and minerals, and chickens love to eat it. It also aids digestion and can help prevent respiratory issues.

Henebit is high in iron and other vitamins.

Fat Hen Weeds are high in Vitamin A, phosphorous, and potassium and are a good protein, iron, and trace minerals source.

Dandelions and Dandelion leaves

The dandelion is the most ‘infamous’ of weeds, dreaded by all when they pop up. Stop, do NOT spray this common weed if you have chickens.

The Dandelion leaf is high in calcium and vitamin A, making them a great choice for egg-laying hens. The flowers are also a great source of nectar and pollen for bees.

If your chickens are not a free-range flock, pull the dandelions up by roots and toss them into the chicken coop for them to enjoy. You can also freeze fresh dandelions and save them for the winter, add them to a warm winter treat like oatmeal or cooked and smashed carrots or other veggies or fruits.

Did you know many humans eat dandelions in their salads or gather to make dandelion tea?

Nettles

Stinging nettle can be a fantastic addition to your flock’s diet. While most chickens won’t naturally go for this herb, it’s packed with significant vitamins, nutrients, and minerals your birds need to stay healthy.

Stinging nettles are a natural detoxifier and antibacterial, making them a powerful tool for promoting respiratory health and warding off parasites. If you want to boost your chickens’ well-being, try stinging nettle- whether you offer it fresh, cooked, or dried, this herb could help keep your feathered friends strong all year long.

Pigweed

Also known as Fat Hen Weed.

Plantain 

Not the fruit you see at the grocery store, but the Plantain weed. This is often found in areas with sandy soil. You can identify this plant with its glossy, heart-shaped leaves and the shoot that pops straight up from the middle of the plant.

Plaintain is famous for its healing properties.

Purslane

This weed is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help improve egg quality, and omega-6 fatty acids, which can help reduce inflammation.

White Clover, aka Trifolium Repens

Clover is rich in protein and fiber and can help improve chickens’ digestive, circulatory, and respiratory systems.

The pinkish-white flowers on the Clover will also attract bees and butterflies, aiding in pollination with other plants in your garden.

Wild Grapes, Wild Strawberries, Wild Raspberries and Blackberries

People and chickens alike love these seasonal fruits. These are like weeds on the outer edges of our property; if only we could find a way to have the chickens harvest them and bring them home. Alas, for our flock, these are a nutritious free food source.

If your cleaning up your property of the fruity overgrowth, your chickens will love your dropping a few branches or stems of this fruity goodness.

Wood Sorrel/ Oxalis

As its name suggests, Oxalis contains oxalic acid, which can cause problems with a flock if too much is eaten; moderation is key here.

The Oxalis looks quite similar to the Clover. This weed is also packed with nutrients and minerals beneficial to your chickens. As with anything chickens eat, it should be given in moderation.

Can Chickens Eat Poison Ivy?

Poison ivy leaves contain a compound called “urushiol,” which causes an allergic reaction in people. However, chickens possess a particular enzyme that breaks down urushiol and prevents them from having any reactions.

As a result, chickens can enjoy the nutritional benefits of poison ivy, which can help protect them from disease and parasites. Moreover, poison ivy is rich in protein, iron, calcium, and other essential vitamins, which can help improve egg quality, strengthen bones, and promote overall health in chickens.

However, it’s important to note that while poison ivy is safe for most chickens to consume, there may be some exceptions, and it’s always a good idea to be cautious when introducing any new food to your flock.

Additionally, if your chickens consume more than moderate poison ivy, it might lead to a slight adverse reaction, such as diarrhea or vomiting.

Can Chickens eat ‘Weed,” aka Marijuana plants?

While this may be controversial to some, the move towards more organic products on the market has increased studies into feeding Cannabis to chickens for health benefits.

You may have heard of the health benefits of marijuana for humans, but did you know that it can also be beneficial for chickens?

A study has shown that feeding hens with cannabis-based feed can boost their health and overall well-being. Cannabis-derived cannabidiol can also improve gut barrier function and affect bacterial enzyme activity in chickens.

And no, your chickens will not get ‘high’ from these nutritious plants.

If you or someone you know grows these cannabis plants in their indoor or outdoor garden, ask them to share those extra leaves with your chickens.

Source: Alchimiaweb.com: Cannabis for Chickens

Are Grass Clippings OK? For Chickens To Eat?

In addition to weeds, grass clippings can also be a great source of nutrition for chickens. Collect the clippings after mowing your lawn and provide them to your chickens by scattering them in the chicken yard.

Grass clippings are high in protein and can also help keep your birds exercised as they scratch around foraging through these clippings.

We only recommend you do this in moderation, one to two bags of fresh clippings a week in a large run area. Add half a bag of clippings and wait a week to see how your chickens respond to this newfound green goody.

Caution: This is based on grass clippings from a lawn non-chemically treated.

What Can I Plant For Chickens To Forage?

You can plant so many things for your flock to forage upon. Some popular and easy-to-grow plants, grasses, ground covers, etc., are:

Alfalfa

Clover

Nasturtium

Oregano

Rye

Sunflowers

Thyme

Other greens that grow easily are lettuce, spinach, and kale; if you are short on garden space, these and other plants can be grown in containers.

Keep Chickens Away from These Toxic Plants And Weeds

Chickens seem to know what are safe common weeds vs. toxic weeds instinctively. However, it’s always best to try and help your chickens avoid the unsafe offenders and never offer things like Gypsum and other weeds mentioned below.

• Azalea
• Burdock
• Buttercup
• Creeping Myrtle
• Daffodils
• English Ivy
• Ferns
• Foxglove
• Gypsum: All parts of this plant are toxic to chickens and can cause respiratory failure and death. The same is true in humans.
• Lily of the Valley
• Pokeweed: While pokeweed leaves may be safe for chickens in small amounts, the root and berries are toxic and can cause diarrhea and vomiting.
• Wild Rhubarb

The Nitty Gritty on Feeding Chickens Weeds

As you can see, there are many common weeds chickens can safely eat. Not only are they a great source of nutrients, but they can also save you money on commercial feed.

However, it’s important to remember not to feed them any weed sprayed with chemicals or fertilizers.

Introducing common weeds to your chicken’s diet greatly enhances their health and saves money.

Always research and double-check the plants before giving them to your flock and introduce new foods gradually.

By incorporating dandelions, chickweed, Clover, purslane, and nettles into your chicken’s diet, you are providing them with a variety of essential nutrients that can improve their overall health and productivity.

Explore your backyard or garden today and discover what nutritious snacks your chickens love.

Read the complete A – Z list of what chickens can eat here.

FAQs

can chickens eat A catnip plant? Can chickens eat catnip ?

The answer is yes but with some limits. Catnip contains nepetalactone, which acts as a herbal sedative and can help improve digestion in chickens. However, it should only be fed to chickens in moderation as an occasional treat, as too much can cause digestive upset.

Can chickens eat foxtails?

The answer is yes but with some caution. Foxtail weeds are not poisonous to chickens but can be dangerous if the seed heads are ingested. The barbs on the seed heads can cause infections in livestock and pets.

Can chickens eat ragweed?

Yes, chickens can eat ragweed. Settlers brought ragweed to the United States to feed their cattle and horses, as it has a higher protein content than alfalfa. It is safe for chickens to consume and provides them with important nutrients. The greens that chickens eat, including ragweed, make their egg yolks a healthy bright orange.

Chickens eat lemon balm

Chickens can safely eat lemon balm in moderation. Lemon balm is full of the B vitamins complex and polyphenols, which can boost a chicken’s immune system and help to reduce stress. It is an antibacterial and can be used as a natural rodent repellent.

Chickens eat rosemary

Chickens can safely eat rosemary and benefit from its many nutrition-packed properties. Rosemary is packed with antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties that benefit chickens. It can be hung in bundles throughout the coop, steeped in warm water, and cooled to make an insect spray.