Juniper berries, cedar needles?

[caitybird]

I only found one other person asking about juniper berries and they had not been answered, so... Part of our chicken yard is underneath some old cedar trees so I am wondering if they berries and the needles that fall on the ground can have any detrimental effect. They don't seem to be eating them, but I can't be sure. One chicken has gone to laying every other day and is sometimes having bumpy shells, and this morning I found a really weird poop that was so large you'd think it came from a dog. It looked like there might be a little blood on the white part but I can't be sure if that's what it was.

 

[Imp]

Quote:
There are lots of different kinds of juniper berries, some are toxic, some edible.
I don't think chickens will eat either junipers or cedar needles. But that's not a guarantee, they sometimes do dumb things.

Bumpy shells are just extra calcium, nothing to worry about.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/1/egg-quality-handbook/17/sandpaper-or-rough-shells

Watch the poop, if there is blood in it, it could be serious. Repost in the emergencies forum if it is bloody. But this also could be nothing.

Imp

 

[BlackBart]

My chickens live with Western Red Cedar and Yellow Cedar and they are fine.
They don't eat the elderberries either.