# Mushrooms



## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Technically mushrooms are a fungus that takes certain weather conditions for them to grow. 

horses won't eat them and don't you eat them. any kind of mushroom growing in horsemen or is not safe to eat.

How to Identify Fungus That Grows on Horse Manure | Garden Guides


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## Change (Jul 19, 2014)

The mushrooms are a natural part of the decomposition process. As stated above, it is a fungus - the visible mushroom head is spouted in certain weather conditions, usually after a rain, when that fungus is 'ripe' and ready to seed. Most horses won't eat them and they disappear/dry up in due time. I pretty much ignore them on the compost heap, and I muck the field (1 acre) once or twice a week.


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## HombresArablegacy (Oct 12, 2013)

Dogs will eat them so if you have dogs, keep them away from them as they can be fatal. I know mushrooms growing in cow manure (shrooms)  can be of the psilocybin variety, which is a hallucinogenic.... if my old hippie memory serves me, lol.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

I'm afraid the link given above is not to a reputable source of information. The writer has no expertise in the subject. If she had, she would have provided photographs, for example. Also fungi, like everything else living, have geographical ranges, seasonal fluctuations, etc. 

I come from a family of mushroom hunters, so I know some things about mushrooms in general.

Some basic fungus facts:

Mushrooms are the fruiting body of an underground fungal mycelium (white webby stuff) which is the actual body of the fungus. A mycelium can be be huge in extent and hundreds of years old. Destroying mushrooms to get rid of a fungus is like picking apples to get rid of an apple tree. 

The vast majority of mushrooms are harmless. Some will make you puke if you eat them, but so will a lot of things. A very few are hallucinogenic (like Pyslocybin which does grow in meadows and in old manure. These are small nondescript brown mushrooms). And there are a couple which will kill you (Destroying Angel, Death Cap). The most common mushroom you will see in a typical pasture, Agaricus campestris aka "meadow mushroom", is the exact same species you buy in a grocery store. Perfectly edible. Another very common one is the puffball, which is also perfectly edible. Don't eat either one until you know how to identify Destroying Angel (Amanita phalloides) though, as it can mimic either one. 

Horses wouldn't eat mushrooms unless they have nothing else to eat. I have never heard of dogs eating mushrooms either, but as we know, some dogs will eat anything.

Fungi are mostly saprophytes which feed on decaying matter. They help make topsoil. They are an essential part of the biotic web which sustains all life. People have weird myths and emotions about them, but that's their problem.

Learning how to ID mushrooms is a skill anyone can learn, but it is a skill.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

I agree with Avna. Psilocbe can also grow in horse manure as well as other decaying matter. Not just cow manure. And there are other mushrooms that grow in cowpies. Your horse won't go after them as they tend to avoid areas they poop in for dining. Dogs are a different story and some actively search them out.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

The bottom line is:




Maximus28 said:


> My horse has a ton of mushrooms growing all in his poop I try to pick them up but they grow like crazy! I've never had this happen before so wondering what it's from
> 
> and is it bad for them? *Horses won't eat them and you shouldn't either. If you have foals or weanlings howver, I wouldn't trust them until they get some sense in their heads*
> 
> ...


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## Maximus28 (Jun 8, 2017)

Thank you for all the responses! I have no intentions on eating and wanted to make sure my horse wouldn't because I know they aren't good for them.... it has been raining a ton so I guess that explains it I will just let them hang out until it dries back up ? I just didn't know if he would go eat them but he has constant hay so that's good to know! Thanks again.


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