Are these berries poisonous to chicks?

[AlexKilpatrick]

I was thinking about setting up my coop in an area that has these bushes with berries:

http://img27.imageshack.us/i/img20110320175534.jpg

Are these poisonous to chicks/chickens?

 

[packmomma]

Is that a bush that is pretty big with lots of those little berries? I think I have those at my house. When my girls free range they dont eat them at all. They lay under the bush though for shade. Cant say for sure if its the same kind of bush but if it is I wouldnt worry. Try to find it online.

 

[AccentOnHakes]

Oh my gosh I need to follow this thread--these bushes are at my place, too! They seem to use them everywhere for landscaping--I was always too lazy to take a picture, though.

 

[Knittycat]

A buddy of mine has a great guideline for this sort of thing. Do any of the berries look like they've been eaten by birds or wildlife? If not, there's probably a reason why.

 

[rebel-rousing-at-night]

Looks like Nandina (Heavenly Bamboo) to me.I tried to include a link from Wikipedia(I'm not good at that) which says all parts are not poisonous but birds eat the berries with no problem.I would not trust it to chickens and would do further research if I were you.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Looks like Nandina to me as well and it is toxic to mammals. Birds might be another story. Never seen anything eat the berries though. Probably taste bad.

 

[debid]

We have a few of those around and yes, it's Nandina. I have seen birds eating the berries. The bush near our bird feeder is stripped clean when the berries ripen.

 

[VI KING RANCH]

K the berries aren't posoinous but will intoxicate your birds( I have one bush in my yard and have drunk birds always flying into my house)

 

[AccentOnHakes]

Quote:
I have never seen birds eat the berries, and the bushes always have tons of berries left on them, they shrivel up and dry after a while.

 

[debid]

Quote:
I have never seen birds eat the berries, and the bushes always have tons of berries left on them, they shrivel up and dry after a while.

I'm trying to remember now which species it was that ate them. I want to say it was the titmice. I just remember being surprised that a bird that small would eat such a relatively large berry. And, there was plenty of food in the feeder, these birds genuinely liked the berries.

You don't have to believe me, though, as there are a number of references online to these berries being somewhat toxic to mammals (though not drop you dead poisonous like a caster bean!) but not affecting birds.