They ate these berries, are they safe?

[Chickassan]

Chickens can eat the berries, mine don't really but they've got a ton of other stuff.
The songbirds love the poke berries though.
My grandma would cook and eat the poke plants, it took forever since it has to be cooked and rinsed a number of times or you'll regret eating it.

That is Common Pokeweed. Its berries are toxic to mammals but doesn't seem to effect birds. They are a common food source for songbirds. I'm thinking it shouldn't harm chickens.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Chickens can eat the berries, mine don't really but they've got a ton of other stuff.
The songbirds love the poke berries though.
My grandma would cook and eat the poke plants, it took forever since it has to be cooked and rinsed a number of times or you'll regret eating it.

YUCKY!














()

 

[Chickassan]

That is one of the tamer things she ate.

YUCKY!














()

 

[sylviethecochin]

Thought you might like to ID this in addition, just in case you come across it. First time I've seen it grow on my property. Actually is growing in a bucket of purchased soil containing one of my young fruit trees. Must've had a seed in the soil...

DO NOT EAT THIS.
DO NOT LET ANIMALS EAT THIS. (Abundance of caution? Must be some creatures that can, but all mammals I know of are warned about consumption of nightshades.)
AVOID GETTING OILS ON SKIN.

I have not determined if this is the truly toxic strain or not, but either way, this picture is Nightshade.
Nightshade will flower prior to producing berries, any shade between white and a dark purple. It's a beautiful plant when respected.
Some say that a particular strain can be used in remedies of various sorts, but one must be super cautious in the dosage no matter the use. I'd love to know all this myself...

"Deadly Nightshade":

Looks like black nightshade to me. Probably not extremely toxic. I'm told that bittersweet nightshade (everywhere around here) is more or less poisonous depending on the area.

 

[Gray Farms]

Chickens can eat the berries, mine don't really but they've got a ton of other stuff.
The songbirds love the poke berries though.
My grandma would cook and eat the poke plants, it took forever since it has to be cooked and rinsed a number of times or you'll regret eating it.

I've read where the leaves could be eaten but its quite a process to cook them correctly.

 

[Gray Farms]

So that's why they turn up everywhere on my property after I pull up every plant I can.

Yup, the songbirds "distribute" the seeds.

 

[TwentyOneChickens]

Hey guys... my mom was removing some of these near the driveway with her bare hands. She’s sick now and she has a rash on her arms. Do you think it was from the Pokeweed?

 

[Cryss]

Looks like black nightshade to me. Probably not extremely toxic. I'm told that bittersweet nightshade (everywhere around here) is more or less poisonous depending on the area.

I'd never take the chance, it's poisonous, a heart stopper. I burn them in my barrel. My daughter considered eating some one time because she thought I was growing blueberries!

 

[Gray Farms]

Hey guys... my mom was removing some of these near the driveway with her bare hands. She’s sick now and she has a rash on her arms. Do you think it was from the Pokeweed?

The leaves are toxic also. She could have had a bad reaction to them. Hope she gets well soon.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

OMG! Those are the same poison berries that Brook Shields, her boyfriend, and their son ate in 'The Blue Lagoon'!