Does anyone here have elderberries? And what do you do with them?

[WonkierZulu]

Did you plant the cultivated type or wild?

I bought them at wilco 50 percent off. July sometime. Black tower elderberry. Got 4 of them for I think 15 bucks a piece.

 

[McChooky]

I bought them at wilco 50 percent off. July sometime. Black tower elderberry. Got 4 of them for I think 15 bucks a piece.

Nice! The should produce a lot more than the wild.I had a difficult time getting mine to grow the first time I bought cuttings (fall) but the ones I planted last spring took off!

 

[WonkierZulu]

How long does it usually take too get berries? Never grew them before.

 

[dornellaram]

I discovered we had elderberries (I think that is what these are) growing wild in our woods when I was gifted four chickens back in 2019. Looked like it was safe for chickens and humans to eat, so I let the chickens gorge themselves. Only one really liked them. Then I hatched chicks in 2020 and they LOVE them. In 2021, I hatched more chicks and they LOVE them too. Last year, the raccoons came and ate a bunch and I'd like to see if I can deter the raccoons from coming by picking them... and if I do, would it be for human consumption, or should pick them and freeze them so the chickens can eat them when they are out of season? Does anyone here eat elderberries, and if so, how did you cook them? Here is one of the trees. (If anyone has elderberries, I'd love a confirmation that these ARE elderberries. Don't want to poison myself. ) This one is actually growing inside the chicken's run.

View attachment 3234191

Those are definitely elderberries. I just picked a quart yesterday and froze them and then put them in vacuum seal bags in two cup portions. Later I will either make tincture or jelly. haven't decided yet which., may be both. I did feed my chickens the berries I didn't feel like picking over. They were ripe, I just got tired of picking them today and thought the gals might like the treat. You can only give them the ripe berries, not the twigs nor the leaves. Only the berries

 

[dornellaram]

I discovered we had elderberries (I think that is what these are) growing wild in our woods when I was gifted four chickens back in 2019. Looked like it was safe for chickens and humans to eat, so I let the chickens gorge themselves. Only one really liked them. Then I hatched chicks in 2020 and they LOVE them. In 2021, I hatched more chicks and they LOVE them too. Last year, the raccoons came and ate a bunch and I'd like to see if I can deter the raccoons from coming by picking them... and if I do, would it be for human consumption, or should pick them and freeze them so the chickens can eat them when they are out of season? Does anyone here eat elderberries, and if so, how did you cook them? Here is one of the trees. (If anyone has elderberries, I'd love a confirmation that these ARE elderberries. Don't want to poison myself. ) This one is actually growing inside the chicken's run.

View attachment 3234191

https://www.thepioneerchicks.com/benefits-of-elderberries-for-chickens/

 

[McChooky]

Those are definitely elderberries. I just picked a quart yesterday and froze them and then put them in vacuum seal bags in two cup portions. Later I will either make tincture or jelly. haven't decided yet which., may be both. I did feed my chickens the berries I didn't feel like picking over. They were ripe, I just got tired of picking them today and thought the gals might like the treat. You can only give them the ripe berries, not the twigs nor the leaves. Only the berries

I put chicken wire around mine to keep the chickens and geese from eating the leaves or fruit. They were grown from cutting last year.

 

[McChooky]

I bought them at wilco 50 percent off. July sometime. Black tower elderberry. Got 4 of them for I think 15 bucks a piece.

My chickens ate the leaves off of 2 of my plants but I was able to save the other one.Its 4 ft tall and very healthy.I put milk crates over the other two so they wouldn't go into shock .I'll transplant them once I figure out where to put them.

 

[Perris]

They grow wild here and the chickens forage the berries and the many insects that are attracted to the plant. The plants themselves need no protection.

 

[McChooky]

They grow wild here and the chickens forage the berries and the many insects that are attracted to the plant. The plants themselves need no protection.

These were grown from cutting last year .Young plants stripped of all their leaves and tender shoots die.These won't recover until they're moved.

 

[Perris]

These were grown from cutting last year .Young plants stripped of all their leaves and tender shoots die.These won't recover until they're moved.

Are we talking about the same plant? https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/sambucus
What else is there for the chickens to eat where you are? Mine don't eat either leaves or shoots of elderberry.