mullethunter Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 We have a snowberry bush in the chickens bit of the garden and the chickens absolutely love the berries. They jump for all the ones they can reach and we often pull higher branches down for them. We thought they must be really sweet or something as they like them so much and so I was going to try one today but then thought I should check on Google first. Turns out they're REALLY poisonous for humans I find it really surprising that they can be so poisonous to us and yet the chickens seem able to eat them with no problems. Do anyone else's girls eat these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 We have a snowberry bush in the chickens bit of the garden and the chickens absolutely love the berries. They jump for all the ones they can reach and we often pull higher branches down for them. We thought they must be really sweet or something as they like them so much and so I was going to try one today but then thought I should check on Google first. Turns out they're REALLY poisonous for humans I find it really surprising that they can be so poisonous to us and yet the chickens seem able to eat them with no problems. Do anyone else's girls eat these? there's lots of berries that are poisonous to humans that birds can eat it's just down to what or how the plants have evolved to get their seeds distributed away from the parent plants to avoid over population in one area. birds cover more ground than mammals and are less destructive to the plants most of the time I've not got Snowberry but my lot will eat potato leaves and tubers given half a chance and are partial to tomato leaves and both green and ripe tomatoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 Thank goodness you didn't eat it mullethunter. Are they those big fat white berries on a bush rather than a tree ? I think the birds may have planted one for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 Common snowberry (S. albus) is an important winter food source for quail, pheasant, and grouse, but is considered poisonous to humans. The berries contain the isoquinoline alkaloid chelidonine, as well as other alkaloids. Ingesting the berries causes mild symptoms of vomiting, dizziness, and slight sedation in children. from Wikipedia So wouldn't worry much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted November 6, 2017 Share Posted November 6, 2017 Mmmmm slight sedation in children Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted November 6, 2017 Share Posted November 6, 2017 Mmmmm slight sedation in children My thought exactly! Now I get why these were planted next to my primary school! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted November 6, 2017 Author Share Posted November 6, 2017 Are they those big fat white berries on a bush rather than a tree ? Yep that's the ones Cattails it also says that in humans the incredibly strong emetic effect tends to prevent eating too many and becoming seriously poisoned - I don't fancy that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 No, but mine love yew berries! They have a very different digestion from us, and can tolerate lots of things that we can't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted November 12, 2017 Share Posted November 12, 2017 I had a huge toadstool/mushroom round one of my trees, the girls ignored it, until it died. It stank like dog poo, but they went mad for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted November 12, 2017 Share Posted November 12, 2017 they do have some weird tastes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
