Is my pekin bantam male or female?

[bruce]

Hi, nice to meet you all. I am new to chicken keeping (as of a month) and would like to know if I am wrong to allow my five new chickens access to play around my two 50 ft yew trees-they love the woodland scrub around the base of the trees and spend alot of their playtime there. A friend told me that yew trees are poisonous and if my girls eat the red berries it could be fatal-she said a friend lost his chickens because of being close to yew trees-any advice would be welcome.

[fowlbird]

if I'm wrong someone will correct me but I think chickens are pretty savvy as to what they can and can't eat...

[Egluntyne]

Have replied to this in the Welcome section.

[fowlbird]

I knew an expert would come along! I'm not now planting yew in the garden...

[bruce]

Fowlbird thanks for coming back my wife agrees re women ruling world!

[Olly]

I have a yew tree, and a gold yew bush - my chooks love scratching about under both of these. Admittedly I don't think either has ever borne berries, but my chooks are about to enter their third year of my tender loving care, and showing no ill effects!

 

I usually shred all my shrub prunings and put them in the run, but I do make a point of excluding any yew prunings from this, as I think it would be risky.

[bruce]

Hi Olly thanks for your info on yew trees however we do have one which has a load of berries in the autumn so I have now spoken with our vet and he agrees we would be wise to place our run under male tree . Your advice re leaves and trimmings is welcome cheers Bruce