Safe to eat grapes from chicken yard grape vine?

[coloradonewbie]

I bought two grape plants, one of which I planned on putting in the chicken's very small chicken yard (part of the larger yard that they're only allowed in when I'm out there, because otherwise they'd decimate the gardens), so the big grape leaves would grow up and shade the pen. They're only in the pen at night (secure), or when they want to gabble underneath the hen house in it.

Would the pathogens in chicken poop mean that we wouldn't be able to eat the grapes from the plant that is in the yard, even though I'd put chicken wire around it, of necessity, because otherwise it wouldn't survive long enough to bear grapes!

Any thoughts about eating grapes from a plant where the snow and rain have leached out lots of chicken poop? I do clean it up almost every day, but of course you can't get everything -- and the poop is definitely in a greater ratio than any from wild birds would be . . . .

Thanks -- I lurk on this site all the time, and I've definitely learned a lot from everyone!

 

[satay]

They will be fine to eat. Only thing i guess would be if it has too much nitrogen in the poop you may not get as much fruit but what you do get would be fine to eat. I have my banana plants beside our chicken run because it is down hill they get all the run off from the hens yard, best bananas ever people tell me.

 

[coloradonewbie]

Thanks, Satay,

Would you mind telling me how long you've had your bananas being watered by your chicken poop? I bought 2 plants, so perhaps I'll be the only one who eats the grapes from the chicken yard plant!

carroll

 

[satay]

Sure just over 4 years now.

 

[coloradonewbie]

Thanks -- I think I'll go with my original plan, and if none of my housemates want to eat "those" grapes, that'll be more for me! Appreciate the feedback -- this site (and the people on it) are great . . . .

 

[satay]

Yeah tell them i said it will be bad for them and you will get lots more for you

 

[coloradonewbie]

Hee, hee!

 

[Oregon Blues]

Are the grapes laying on the ground in the chicken poop? Are the chickens sitting up on them and pooping on the fruit?

If not, rinse the fruit off and eat it.

If the fruit has been in contact with chicken poop, wash it a bit more carefully and eat it.

Lots of people use animal manure in their veggie gardens. I fertilize my blueberries with duck poop. My commercial blueberry fertilizer has chicken poop in it. Believe me, I eat every blueberry I can get off those plants.

 

[Engteacher]

We let our chickens free range in our vineyard and find that they go after the low hanging fruit when it's ripe and will clean up any grapes left on the ground after harvest. When the grapes get really ripe, they will jump to get as many clusters as they can reach. Once they start their thieving, we don't let them in the vineyard until after harvest.

Contamination isn't a problem unless you harvest clusters that touch the ground or come in contact with feces.