Firethorn Berries??

[coastaltx]

Has anybody fed Firethorn berries to their chickens? Song birds eat them with gusto, and people can, so I figure chickens can. My new property has many Pyracantha/Firethorn bushes that produce huge numbers of seeds. Figure free chicken food. Experiences?

 

[SunflowerKing]

Has anybody fed Firethorn berries to their chickens? Song birds eat them with gusto, and people can, so I figure chickens can. My new property has many Pyracantha/Firethorn bushes that produce huge numbers of seeds. Figure free chicken food. Experiences?

Any update on how your chickens liked the firethorn? I’m thinking of planting a lot of them.

 

[Rldad1]

Be aware that pyracantha berries can ferment if they stay on the bush a long time. I have had many Robins get drunk off of them. I imagine a drunk chicken can be hilarious, robins are.

 

[NYREDS]

As a gereal rule if you can eat it chickens can eat it. Firethorn is in the Rose family & I've seen my chickens peck at the Rose Hips so I assume Firethorn berries would be ok. I have no idea what they would provide nutritionally though.

 

[SunflowerKing]

Be aware that pyracantha berries can ferment if they stay on the bush a long time. I have had many Robins get drunk off of them. I imagine a drunk chicken can be hilarious, robins are.

I’m thinking about getting drunk on them too!

firethorn seems to have so many uses in a chicken food forest. I plan to spam them so long as I’m certain chickens will eat them. I was thinking of adding them to my very own grain mix: dried soldier fly larvae, corn, sunflower, amaranth, firethorn berries. It will be a winter supplement feed. What do you think? Any additions?