MILKWEED!

[aggieterpkatie]

I'm not sure how much milkweed would cause an issue, but I'm not sure I'd chance it. :/ Which is a PITA when there's a bunch of milkweed where you want to graze.

We have had animals get sick on Mountain Laurel, which is a relative of azaleas and Rhodos, so I would not chance it with those either. Or Yews. A handful of yew can kill a horse.

And CM, nightshade and bull thistle are two different plants. Nightshade is toxic, as is it's cousin horsenettle. I'm not sure about thistles. It's my understanding that some thistles are ok, but I think sow thistle is not. Well, I dont' know for sure, I need to look it up. I know my goats have eaten thistle before...they actually love it. Growing up, my sister didn't latch the gate properly and one of my lambs escaped and ate a plant resembling sow thistle...not positive what it was, but the lamb keeled over dead within the hour.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Oh, and I also wanted to mention that when we made hay we'd always avoid one patch that had milkweed in it. It's best to not risk it.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Just found this on Wiki (so do with it what you will):

Milkweed is toxic and may cause death when animals consume 10% of their body weight in any part of the plant. Milkweed also causes mild dermatitis in some who come in contact with it.

 

[cmjust0]

And CM, nightshade and bull thistle are two different plants. Nightshade is toxic, as is it's cousin horsenettle.

Just looked up horsenettle...VERY SIMILAR to what I'm talking about, if not the same exact thing. Interestingly, some folks apparently also call it bullnettle.

And lots of folks use thistle and nettle interchangeably..

Could explain why it seems to go by bullthistle around here..

Think I'm just gonna call the stuff horsenettle from now on, though, as pictures of horsenettle are as close to what I'm talking about as I've gotten so far..

I *knew* it was in the nightshade family, though.

I'm not sure about thistles. It's my understanding that some thistles are ok, but I think sow thistle is not. Well, I dont' know for sure, I need to look it up. I know my goats have eaten thistle before...they actually love it. Growing up, my sister didn't latch the gate properly and one of my lambs escaped and ate a plant resembling sow thistle...not positive what it was, but the lamb keeled over dead within the hour.

Hmm...dunno what that would have been.

We have zero purple thistle anywhere a goat's had access.. Reason being, goats LOVE purple thistle....so much, in fact, that they eat them before they ever have a chance to go to seed.

I recall that soremouth is sometimes called "thistle disease." Goat with soremouth browses thistle, gets the virus on the thistle's thorns, then the next goat comes along and 'injects' itself with soremouth by getting stuck with the thorns.

 

[cmjust0]

Just found this on Wiki (so do with it what you will):

Milkweed is toxic and may cause death when animals consume 10% of their body weight in any part of the plant. Milkweed also causes mild dermatitis in some who come in contact with it.

Thassa lotta milkweed. :/

I saw .25% to 2% in 'Goat Medicine' a few minutes ago.. Didn't copy it, though...I'll see if I can find it again. I do remember seeing that the reference was from a study done in the 60's.

Maybe goats are getting better at eating milkweed.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

And lots of folks use thistle and nettle interchangeably..

Could explain why it seems to go by bullthistle around here..

Yeah, it certainly doesn't help when there are 10 names for every plant depending on where you're located.

Hmm...dunno what that would have been.

I wish I knew! I'd recognize it if I saw it though...makes for hard IDing when you don't know what to google.

 

[warthog]

We have what is known as tropical milkweed, different leaf shape to the one posted and orange flowers.

I have seen my goats nibble the odd flower and maybe the odd leaf, no problems. My land has the plant all over and would be impossible to erradicate. But they seem to know what they are doing.

The vet pointed out one of my decorative plants yesterday (Lantana) and said that this was highly toxic, and I am sure she is right.

However, some months ago when my goats escaped they feasted on this plant with no ill effects.

I am begining to think that some of these toxic plants, are only toxic at different growth stages and if consumed in great quantities, but how do we know. I think to some extent we have to leave it up to them.

I also believe that they will only eat these plants if very hungry and nothing else is available.

JMO :/

 

[freemotion]

Hmmm ... I love azaleas. I haven't done any real landscaping yet but I had figured I "couldn't have" azaleas and such. In case the goats got out and took a tiny bite and fell over dead.

I will probably avoid azaleas and known poisonous plants anyway. Still ... A few years ago I wanted to get a few Pygmy goats but was told they'd die if they got to the azaleas. It was a rented house, so I couldn't remove the plants, so I passed on the goats.

Skip the azaleas....very poisonous. There is poisonous, and there is POISONOUS. Apparently azaleas are yummy. I've had problems with wild ones here. They are most toxic when growing in the spring. I also had a goat escape and mow a small rhododendron to the ground with no ill effects, but it was in the middle of winter and the plant was about a foot high by a foot wide, a recently planted miniature. I lost another goat to wild azalea in the spring. I think my baby doeling barfed all night recently from wild azalea creeping into my pasture along one end.

On the other hand, there are many plants in my pasture that appear on poisonous lists and have not been a problem. Nightshade, cherry, oak, red maple, black walnut, poke, lilac, etc.

 

[savingdogs]

I did not see which of my goats ate the azaleas so did not know who to watch, but all three appeared normal and they consumed probably 1/10 th of an enormous azalea just last month. It was past bloom and is a very old plant. I was extremely concerned but they seemed fine.

They are so good about getting through fences and such and seem to make a beeline right for the forbidden plants as soon as they do.....

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Ah, well. Thanks so much for the info.

I really do love azaleas, but it's not worth endangering my animals. Mine are not escape artists but someone left a gate open once and they all got into the unfemced front yard. Accidents happen. And my favorite doe can actually jump a four foot fence. Most of my fences ate four foot. I guess she forgot or hasn't thought of it.

Sigh ... Ok, no azaleas or rhododendrons. Maybe someday I'll get a double-fenced personal garden with ten-foot walls. Like I wouldn't spend the money on pastures or vegetable gardens first, LOL. OK, guess I'll have to content myself with public gardens somewhere. Anyway roses are nice (and delicious I hear!).