# Tomatoes and Pigeons?



## pidgers'2006 (Jul 24, 2006)

Hi i was wondering...are tomato leaves are harmful to pigeons or birds health? Because in the afternoon we let our birds wander in the backyard but i dont let them by the tomato plants. So are the leaves poisonous or any way harmful to them?


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## flitsnowzoom (Mar 20, 2007)

*Tomato plants are a big no-no!!*

here's the sticky on poisonous plants. Tomatoes (and potatos) are members of the nightshade family and contain poisonous parts. It's the alkaloids that cause problems.

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=5047

for more on the nightshade family and how the alkaloids work here's the wikipedia entry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanaceae


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Some wild or feral Pigeons will eat Tomato or Potato leaves ( mine used to years ago, but these Birds also tend to locate and eat certain Clays and Minerals which counteract the Alcaloids.

Not all Pigeons know to do this or had other's examples to learn from.

Most likely your Birds will not eat the Tomato ( or various other potentially intoxicating Solanaceae ) leaves, just out of instinct or innate recognition, but you could get them Kales or Endives or other fresh Greens and encourage them to eat those.

Most 'Garden' Greens are fine for them if they will graze them, such as Carrot Tops, Beet Tops and most root Vegatable ( other than Potato) tops, Dandylion Greens are fine, as are many or most 'weeds'...

Just see what they do and don't shy them away from grazing Greens...if they seem to be starting in on the Tomatoe, then shy them away of course...

But most likely they will elect 'friendly' Greens close to or in the same area as the Tomatoes and be fine.

Or, they will try 'some' Tomato leaves, decide later that was an error of judgement, and leave them alone from then on with no one needing to bother about it.

This is afterall how Wild or feral Birds learn, too...



Phil
Las Vegas


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## pidgers'2006 (Jul 24, 2006)

Ok thank you all so much!


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