Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[gaitngirl]

Thanks Girl, I was wondering about those darn seeds tho... Cyanide...

I cut the peaches up and these apples don't have many seeds, but I cut the cores out anyway. I will occasionally throw really small, whole apples out to them but they don't seem to have suffered any ill effects at all.

 

[Amastacia]

...i thought apples were arsenic and peaches and cherries were cyanide...? i might just be confused though. it has been known to happen

 

[SillyChicken]

I have one of those too! Old school, but works great, I use to strain tomatoes for sauce. I think it's an apple sauce strainer/collandar or sieve.... something like that!

 

[Amy PT]

TseTse9, I'm sorry your chick died. We had a young cross beak who died. When that happened we talked with the kids about how special it was that she got to die being loved at our house instead of in a bin at the store. After the shock passes a bit, maybe something like that will help your kids?

 

[Farmerboy16]

Apple seeds release the cyanide (HCN) upon metabolizing the cyanide/sugar compound found within apple (and other Prunus sp.) seeds.  Two (2) things need to happen, 1) the seed (pip) hull needs to be chewed or ground up so that 2) digestion of the compound can occur.

Apple seeds that have been cooked are considerably safer than raw. 

While the potential for cyanide poisoning is there, it seems that the probability is pretty low. 

My hens have consumed lots of apples over time with no ill affects. I don't think they actually chewed the seeds but I am kind of wondering if grit in the crop would be coarse enough to breech the seed hull. Or does the seed simply pass through the gut.  A scat analysis might be interesting. 

But my Mom always said to never eat the seeds because a tree would sprout and grow in your gut. 

I give my cows whole apples, and the other day, Bella scarfed down 5 gallons of apples! Other than loose cow patties, she seems fine.

 

[RaZ]

...i thought apples were arsenic and peaches and cherries were cyanide...? i might just be confused though. it has been known to happen

Thanks to the internet search engines, you can do a lot of fun research.
http://listverse.com/2009/01/06/top-10-poisonous-foods-we-love-to-eat/
http://www.pickyourown.org/apple-seeds-cyanide-arsenic.php

Arsenic is a metal that naturally exists in the soil and can be absorbed by some plants.
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~toxmetal/research-projects/arsenic-in-plants.html

But just because it is on the internet doesn't make it true. Check your research for valid documentations and citations of scientific, peer-related studies.

Have fun.

ETA: This is an uncited site but you would have to eat a lot of apple seeds...
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/questions/question/2737/

 

[tsetse9]

TseTse9, I'm sorry your chick died. We had a young cross beak who died. When that happened we talked with the kids about how special it was that she got to die being loved at our house instead of in a bin at the store. After the shock passes a bit, maybe something like that will help your kids?

Thanks everyone, Amy that is exactly what I did tell them. At least having all the rest to watch and learn about has helped keep their minds off of it. As for me, i am sad, but it is a lot of stress off me that she went so fast. I was worried about her from the get go and was fearing waking up to her dead. Now as bad as it is, i dont at least have to worry all night about her.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Jack after fair this year. Most being Grand Slam and Showmanship but I leave it all to him. He gets happy when he sees a ribbon or trophy so he gets the glory lol

Congrats!!


Sorry about the loss of the chick. It's a hard lesson for the kids, but still a fact of life.

 

[snowflake]

my dad always ate the whole apple, seeds and all, said it helped keep parasites away

 

[snowflake]

Jack after fair this year. Most being Grand Slam and Showmanship but I leave it all to him. He gets happy when he sees a ribbon or trophy so he gets the glory lol

congrats, that is awesome
HH can I have you peach cobler recipe, please?

sorry about the little chick, always sad