That'll make some purdy bird chit. Every now & again I'll see that, but not often. Couple days & the birds get em all.
I read the same. The fruit’s edible (what little is actually there) but with enough sugar they’re palatable. Oh and the most important thing: the pits, stems and twigs contain cyanide
Yep, cyanide, leaves too, I guess. Since we raise cattle, I am always careful not to cut one down with leaves on it. My dad always warned me that a cow that eats the wilted leaves will usually get sick and die of cyanide poisoning.
My gf has two goats now and I am glad I read up on what NOT to feed goats because I would have given them some cherry saplings with leaves on them and that appears to be not a good idea. In fact, I am shocked at all the things goats can't eat; I thought just about anything organic is fine, lol. BTW, I have never seen wild cherries like that. Not sure we have any like that.
They can eat some and be ok...but as with humans, all things in moderation...if they eat a bunch all at once, especially a small goat, there might be trouble...
Yeah, supposedly fresh leaves have a lower toxicity level than Fall leaves dropping to the ground. I'd venture a guess that their bodies maintain a level of the antidote just like the human body does - for the normal amount we all ingest every day. C'mon, there's cyanide in spinach. No one stops eating spinach because of it. We can tolerate <normal> amounts. There's arsenic ( and probably cyanide ) in bottled water - just at levels that are considered to be "safe". It's heavy doses that can be problematic. You wouldn't eat just spinach - anyway, you might turn green.
I think the coons get as much or more than the birds. Those cherries that fall get eaten by many animals, especially deer. Deer also will stand on their hind legs to reach any berries they can get just like they will do with apple trees.
