Mayday tree berries

[AK Baha]

Did a search on this but could not find any info. Does anybody know if my birds can eat mayday berries? My neighbor has one right on our property line.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Did a search on this but could not find any info. Does anybody know if my birds can eat mayday berries? My neighbor has one right on our property line.

That seems to be a name for one of the bird cherries? Do you have any idea exactly which one it is? They seem to be closely related to chokeberry. Around here they recommend chokeberry to plant for wildlife especially birds. Don't know that I would purposely feed a bunch of any of them to chickens, but just picking some up here and there probably would not hurt them.
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden....inder/plant-details/kc/g980/prunus-padus.aspx
http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_prvi.pdf

 

[AK Baha]

It is a European. I live in Alaska and it is considered an invasive species,Moose can die from it at certain times of year.Last year I found a wax wing bird in the middle of the road,picked him up and brought him to the vet.They said " yea we get them all the time he is just drunk' they give them caffeine warm em up and let them go. It is from eating mayday berries in the winter time after they ferment. Happy birds in AK!!

 

[Kelsie2290]

OK, almost has to be Prunus padus then. Pretty much the same as chokecherry so far as feeding to chickens I would think. Never thought about moose having problems with them, but since the wild cherries can kill cows, guess it makes sense. Kind of funny about the bird, at least it turned out well for him.

 

[MamaWolf7]

I know this is an old thread, but thought I would add some insight for anyone else who tries to find this answer (which there is no info about it online). We have a Mayday in our yard with half of the tree overhanging the chicken run. They eat the cherries as they fall and have never had any issues with many chickens living to be very old birds well past their laying days. The bohemian waxwings do get drunk off them and the mountain ash berries (there is a mountain ash in the chicken run and they love to eat those berries too). My chickens do not seem to get drunk off the fermented berries or cherries from either tree. Possibly due to their larger weight and access to chicken feed so are eating the berries and cherries in smaller proportions. We live in the Yukon (100mi from Alaska) so similar situation for the wild birds but not an issue for well cared for chickens. Let your chickens happily forage for the ripe cherries that have fallen on the ground!