[moprabbit]

I know that the leaves of yew are very poisonous to sheep, but I did read somewhere that the berries weren't. Just wondered about the bark. Where I keep my sheep, the owner has just got some yew logs for turning on his lathe, but the logs have cut with a chainsaw and there is quite a lot of bark bits about that I'm worried about. Just wondered if anyone can give me some advice. Thank you.

[Marches Farmer]

As I understand it the toxin runs through the whole tree, although in a bad Winter I've seen blackbirds eating the berries (don't know if they've died later, of course).  I would hope that sheep on good grazing wouldn't be interested in the bark.  If you're worried would it be possible to fence off that area or rake off most of the chippings?  May save you kicking yourself later if there's a problem.

[Dogwalker]

AFAIK it's the pips that are poisonous, the flesh of the berry is ok for blackbirds.

Don't know about the bark sorry.

[Marches Farmer]

When I worked at a big house with lots of formal yew hedging we used to gather up the clippings and send them off to a pharmaceutical company that used them to make a drug for cancer treatments. The poison (taxin) doesn't disappear when the tree dies.

[moprabbit]

 Thanks for the replies -I shall just have to be VERY careful. I shall get a hoover to get up as much of bark chippings as  possible.

[landroverroy]

 Yew bark is definitely poisonous, as are all parts of the yew tree except (as mentioned) the soft part of the berries around the seeds.

[moprabbit]

Thanks Landroverroy, I'm going to be very careful.