# poppy seeds and chickens



## snowcap (Jul 1, 2011)

Will poppy seeds make chickens sick. I would like to grow poppys but I have to be sure the dropped seeds won't make my girls sick if they pick them up from the garden.


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## Randy Rooster (Dec 14, 2004)

Poppy seeds are pretty tiny - I dont know if chickens would even purposely go after them to eat.


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## COSunflower (Dec 4, 2006)

I've wondered that too...I wondered if the opium in the seeds was strong enough to make them "high" LOL!!! Maybe they would relax and lay more eggs???


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## Fourthistles (Feb 24, 2003)

The seeds should be fine. The opium is not in the seeds; it comes from the sap that oozes out of cuts made in the green pod before seeds are formed.


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## COSunflower (Dec 4, 2006)

What about the poppyseeds in muffins that will show up on work drug tests? My great grandfather from Russia grew them FOR the seeds and he was always chewing them for their calming effect he said.


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## Wileyhunter (Jan 19, 2014)

Poppy seeds given to cats has a calming effect, mild sedative?

And eating a Poppy Seed Muffin will not pop positive on a drug screen, even if you ate a ton of them!


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

Wileyhunter said:


> Poppy seeds given to cats has a calming effect, mild sedative?
> 
> And eating a Poppy Seed Muffin will not pop positive on a drug screen, even if you ate a ton of them!


http://www.snopes.com/medical/drugs/poppyseed.asp

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=morphine and codeine on poppy seeds thevis

Welcome to the forum......

geo


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## COSunflower (Dec 4, 2006)

Thanks George! I know that in the school district where I work when they do a random urine check that you have to answer questions about what prescription drugs you take and whether you regularly eat items with poppy seeds etc.


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