Any mushroom experts out there? Not sure what to do..

[tedabug]

OK, here are the pictures. The first two are the ones I'm concerned about the chickens eating. The last little white one is all over the grass as well. They get bigger, but the mowers just plowed them all down. My question is.......are they harmful if the chickens get into them?

 

[tedabug]

Quote:
I couldn't get on to this site, but will try again today! Thanks

 

[can you hear me now?]

The first picture looks like decaying puffballs if kicked the insides will be black. Second looks to be a fresher puff ball. Third I don't know what it is so I.say.if you handle it to make sure you wash your hands. Think the third could be poisonous.

 

[tedabug]

Well, they spurt green fluid when young and now the fluid has changed to green haze. Here is a picture of me kicking them. Green smoke.

 

[can you hear me now?]

With them.dying it is hard to tell for.sure. on the other hand i have a question for you. Puff balls are what I like to call dog bomb mushrooms. Does your dog or someone's dog use the restroom in any of these areas?

 

[Imp]

I agree the first pics are almost certainly puffballs. I don't recognise the coloration though. There are over 100 varieties in the PNW.
That white one is beautiful. It looks young so I can't tell from the picture what it is. A couple of possibilities are "Cowboy's Handkerchief", "Ma'am on a Motorcycle" or "Destroying Angel" and that's not even getting into the big mushroom encyclopedia.
Because it looks so much like the Destroying Angel (especially a PNW version called Aminita Verna), I think I'd pluck it out and toss. It is very easy to misidentify mushrooms and Destroying Angels are the deadliest known and are by far the #1 cause of mushroom fatalities.
No need to panic, you don't need to wear armor, and like I said it is almost impossible to ID from 1 picture, and it being so young looking. Just pull it up and throw away.

Imp-unless there's someone you'd like to get rid of?

 

[can you hear me now?]

Quote:
thanks for adding that, one way to tell it isn't a puffball is to cut it open. If you see where it is developing into some sort of toadstool, you will know it isn't a puffball. Puffballs are roundish in shape and never develop into a stool. Still pluck and toss though.

 

[tedabug]

Sooo...consensus says let the chickens out? or no?

 

[Terri O]

I wouldnt worry about the chickens with mushrooms. We get them in the lawn here and they seem to ignore them. I have to say that I have never seen puffballs grow all together in a group like that though. They grow here in the neighbor's lawn and I love to cook them! My family doesnt care much for them so I get them all to myself. Any mushroom will spurt that smoke...it is the spores flying in the wind to make more! If you do cut them and they fit the puffball description(no structures inside at all)...get them while they are still firm and white and saute in butter for a delicious treat! Terri O

 

[Imp]

Quote:
It really is your call.
I decided a long time ago that I was not going to worry about every shroom, plant, weed etc that might show up in the yard. Mine do eat some of the shrooms that grow in my yard. I don't know if it has hurt them. I don't think so.
I have never eaten puffballs, mostly cause I usually find them old already, and I have heard that they are not the best tasting. Glad to hear from Terrie O that they are good. They do grow in clusters around here, I see them frequently along the side of hiking trails, but usually just plain tan ones. In the book I have there are some varieties the size of basketballs, and the western giant puffball can get up to 50lbs. Yowsa! Imagine trying to cook that up.

Imp

And Terrie O. and CYHMN are both correct to cut them open to make sure that there are no baby mushrooms inside. That could be a terrible mistake to make.