Can chickens eat rhubarb?

Part by part

• NoLeavesMost toxic part.
• NoStalksPurina, UC ANR and Fresh Eggs Daily say avoid rhubarb altogether; Grubbly Farms allows stalks in moderation (minority, self-contradictory).

Why

Purina says rhubarb contains anthraquinones with a laxative effect and that cold-damaged rhubarb may hold high oxalic acid, which can be fatal. ASPCA lists soluble calcium oxalates as the toxic principle (kidney failure, tremors, salivation in pets). Fresh Eggs Daily says oxalic acid can cause soft-shelled eggs and kidney harm.

Watch out for oxalic acid / soluble calcium oxalates; anthraquinones. If a bird may have eaten a lot of it and seems unwell, call a veterinarian who treats poultry.

Be careful with

• Fence chickens out of the rhubarb patch
• Don't add rhubarb leaves to scraps

The treat rules for every food

1. 1Scraps are not nutritionally balanced. Letting them displace complete feed can cause nutritional disorders and lower egg production; hens that fill up on treats can run short of calcium and draw it from their bones, weakening shells.
2. 2Never feed moldy, rotten or spoiled food. Molds can produce mycotoxins (e.g., aflatoxin on corn, peanuts, nuts, rice) that harm poultry, and University of Kentucky notes mycotoxins remain even if visible mold is removed. Rotting food can also be a source of Clostridium botulinum (botulism, 'limberneck'). Stale or wilted (not moldy) produce and bread are generally considered fine.
3. 3Avoid very salty, sugary, fatty, fried or heavily processed human food (chips, fast food, candy, heavily salted leftovers). Merck notes salt above about 2% of the diet is usually considered dangerous for poultry, that birds under 21 days old are more susceptible, and that restricted water access makes salt problems worse.
4. 4Provide insoluble grit (granite grit or small stones) whenever chickens eat whole grains, scratch, seeds or forage; birds that can reach the ground usually find their own. Oyster shell is a calcium source, not grit (it is too soft). Birds eating only a complete pelleted feed do not need grit.

All 10 rules · How much feed they need