nightshade berries

[emvdt]

Can my chickens eat the red berries from the bittersweet or deadly nightshade plants?

 

[RiverHouseHens]

That is pokeweed. Not sure if it's edible for chickens or not, though.

 

[BubblesTPB]

Not sure if this is nightshade? I'm getting ready to cut it off the fence around their run and don't want them eating the berries if poisonous.

 

[Veg87]

all parts of the american pokeweed plant contain toxic alkaloids, however the tender young shoots of the plant in its early stages is traditionally eaten as a cooked green in the south. special preperation is needed to remove the toxins before consumption because the sap may cause a skin rash in some people and i don't encourage anyone to try it without specialized knowledge (i have never eaten it myself, i've just read about it in foraging books). the ripe berries can also be used to make ink and red dye. in the old days, this lead to being used to deepen the color of pooly made wines.

anyways,i have noticed my 6 month old hen starting to wander closer to the edges on my yard that are a bit overgrown with deadly nightshade and i catch my brahma trying to eat the green berries lately. i worry about how much (or little) it would take to harm her and i dont want the other birds seeing her go for and and deciding to try it too when they've been ignoring it so far so i try to rip it all up whenever i find any, that stuff is super invasive though so it seems like i'll never get it all. i've also been trying to rid the yard of a bunch of lily of the valley that grows prolifically in the corners of the yard under spiney bushes where i cant get at it well.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://www.library.illinois.edu/vex/toxic/nightsha/nightsh.htm

I found this link- if this is what you are referring to, it doesn't sound good.

 

[emvdt]

thanks, but it still doesn't tell me if the chickens can eat the ripened red berries safely......

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I would not worry too much about what your chickens eat that they find growing in their environment. All birds to include chickens commonly consume naturally occurring strychnine without harm.

What's one mans' poison is another mans' tonic and visa versa.

Sorry that I can't provide a more definite answer.

 

[emvdt]

thanks, anybody else have any thoughts on this before I go picking the berries and giving them to my girls.....

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I wouldn't, why risk it, we have them all over and I don't think anything eats them.

 

[centrarchid]

Bittersweet I think not a problem. Nightshade mine sometimes eat but I think they only do when very hungry and may suffer later.