Fiddleneck (
Amsinckia menziesii) is a winter annual flowering plant. It has coarse, hairy stems and leaves and small yellow flowers that coil up in a cluster like a fiddle’s neck.
A. menziesii flowers from lake winter to spring.
Toxic components
All parts of
A. menziesii contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), which is toxic to chickens and ducks. If
A. menziesii is ingested over a period of time, it can result in pyrrolizidine alkaloid toxicity, which can lead to liver failure. Clinical signs usually don't become apparent until months or sometimes up to a year following ingestion of the plant. Poultry will not normally consume
A. menziesii unless they have no alternative food source.
