Hens eating rhubarb leaves

[mooky]

I know we are not supposed to eat rhurbarb leaves, but my hens have eaten them all. Not the stalks just the leaves. They really cannot get enough. Should I not let them do this?

I haven't had an egg from any of them for six weeks, even the youngest two who are only five months old;

Is this the moult?

[tracteurtom]

Rhubarb leaves are poisonous, even for hens.  They've probably eaten them because they are bored and run out of other things to peck at or have a deficiency in their diet somewhere..  What are you feeding them ?  They should have free unlimited access to good quality layers pellets and you should feed a small quantity of wheat every night before bedtime.  I assume they are free ranging ?  Does your ground give them access to grit ?  You also need to supplement their diet with crushed oyster shell (sprinkle it around their territory once every few weeks).  If they insist on eating the rhubarb, you're going to have to move them or the rhubarb.  Fencing it off may be a fix but hens are extremely determined creatures and will no doubt work a way around your fencing if they can !

At 5 months - 20 weeks they should be just coming into lay.

[mooky]

Thank you for your reply. I do everything right as far as I can tell. They don't seem to have come to any harm but I will make sure they can no longer eat it.