Are snowberries harmful to chickens?

[Fergie]

I saw one of my pullets with a snowberry in her mouth yesterday. She was running away from an older hen that was trying to see what she was eating. It fell out of her mouth, so I can't be sure she ate one, but it made me wonder... are snowberries harmful for chickens to eat?

 

[Fergie]

I know they are harmful for humans to eat, but apparently we have to eat a lot of them to make us sick!

 

[Fergie]

http://www.poultryhelp.com/toxicplants.html

I guess they are according to this, so I will have to watch out. Make sure no berries are within reach!

 

[lazy gardener]

I have never heard of them, but did a google search, and this is what I turned up:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphoricarpos

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 isoquinolinealkaloid chelidonine, as well as other alkaloids. Ingesting the berries causes mild symptoms of vomiting, dizziness, and slight sedation in children.

 

[Folly's place]

I wouldn't plant them in the run, or against the run fencing, so they aren't the only fruit available. Generally my free ranging chickens eat good stuff, and avoid toxic plants, because they have lots of choices. In confinement, all bets are off.
mary