POULTRY MAY

instinctively stay away from toxic substances and plants, but they will eat them if they’re hungry, overly curious, or just make a mistake.

Birds on a bare run, with a diet restricted to kitchen scraps, weeds, and discarded garden plants are at particular risk.

What not to feed:

garden prunings, weeds, seeds, or other plant trimmings unless you’re 100% certain the plant isn’t toxic – wilted plants are often much higher in toxins;

lawn clippings, which block the crop;

parsnip, celery, or parsley leaves – these contain furocoumarins, which can inflame the gullet, causing dermatitis and fluid-filled blisters on un-feathered skin;

green potatoes, green nightshade berries and foliage – these contain solanin, causing depression and diarrhoea;

rhubarb leaves – contain oxalic acid, which causes gut inflammation and haemorrhages in small blood vessels.

Why rhubarb is confusing

Many people observe their birds eating rhubarb leaves with no apparent ill effects. It’s thought toxic oxalic acid levels are lower at certain times of the year.

But it’s also easy to miss seeing the symptoms (gut inflammation, diarrhoea) or assume they’re caused by something else.

Don’t let poultry eat rhubarb.