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Chickens and Black Locust

 
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I really want to plant a tall N-fixing tree. Black Locusts are my #1 choice (I live in Denver CO - dry, hot, ph around 6-7), but I keep reading that black locust seeds/pods are toxic to chickens.  

Does anyone have chickens and black locust trees together?  How are the chickens fairing?  Anyone with experience on this - I'd love to hear from you.

thanks all!
 
pollinator
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Location: Western North Carolina - Zone 7B stoney
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It seems to be toxic to horses, and not chickens http://www.quailsprings.org/black-locust-a-tree-of-many-uses/
 
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I've never seen chooks go for Black Locust seeds, they usually avoid eating them by scratching them out of the way while they look for worms and bugs.
The Honey locust is another species that is an N fixer but less invasive than the black locust.
Black locust seems to be most valuable as fence post material than even fire wood.
 
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Chickens don't seems to have an issue. The pods trap the seeds really well.  The deer LOVE them. Every morning deer will eat the heck out of them in my front yard.
 
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I find this all so confusing.  I grew up with locust (not honey locust) trees and the cattle and horses preferred locust leaves over everything else.  I would stop and feed tons to my horse and any cattle.  I would pull down branches forever and clean off all the leaves I could reach for them.   I used small branches loaded with leaves as a teaser when halter breaking steers.  Now, 35 years later I am learning they are toxic.  Very strange.  

Our locust trees were black locust I believe.  They had white flowers.
 
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