What Is It? Wednesday – Collard Damage

I routinely scout the collards in my yard for insect pests and enjoy watching wasps parasitize worms and aphids. I walked out the other day and thought the wasps must be taking a break from parasitizing because I have serious damage. Upon further inspection, I realized the collards didn’t look like any insect damage I had ever seen.  I looked around the yard and spotted four very happy hens prancing around the yard. Chickens and geese have been known to mow down brassicas. Just like us, they have preferences on which species they like. One year in a commercial field, geese went down an entire row of broccoli and stripped it clean. They skipped the cabbage and collard rows and picked up eating the broccoli rows a few rows over.  If you raise chickens and vegetables on your farm, don’t count your eggs until they hatch…

Collard damage, chickens and geese have been known to mow down brassicas.

Collard damage, caused by chickens and geese which have been known to mow down brassicas.
Zack Snipes, ©2023, Clemson Extension

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