Oak Tree Leaves Poisonous???

[Dreaming Of Goats]

I was just reading "Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats" and it says that oak tree leaves are poisonous to them. Is this true? In what amounts? Can they grow immune of it? I was just wondering because a lot of New England, including my backyard, has oak trees, and oak leaves, but people still have goats....... Thanks in Advance!

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

Oak leaves are fine. Here's an article about it:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/publicationslist.org/data/silanikove/ref-74/tannin.tox.SRR95.pdf

I had read the same thing before getting my goats and panicked since we live smack in the middle of a mixed deciduous forest (mainly oak) and that's where the goats would be staying. They eat oak leaves all summer and acorns in the fall to no ill effect.

 

[freemotion]

My pasture is shaded mostly by oaks, red maples, and wild black cherry....all poisonous. I've had no problems, except with one pygmy who will stuff herself after a big acorn drop and get a little clumpy poo. Now that I have 7 goats, though, it isn't a problem as there is too much competition! Plus I got into the habit of picking up acorns for the pigs every day. When I just had the two goats, I would close off the pasture while the acorns were dropping, until the squirrels cleaned them all up.

 

[KellyHM]

The leaves seem to be fine. Acorns, however, can be toxic/fatal in large amounts. Last year after my first doe kidded I moved her to a new pasture where there were a TON of acrons on the ground. She proceded to gobble them up and then go into kidney failure...wasn't producing urine, projectile vomiting (which is something coming from a goat!), etc. She was at the vet clinic on IV fluids & diuretics for 3 days, but finally came around.

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

I had a little guy get sick once from him...I actually had to bring him to the vet. He went down hard. But he ate bunch!! I mean alot!!

He was fine after...but too much of anything..well ya know!!!

But acorns are not good for them..Mine will much on them. With no issue..and I remember the vet saying that one oak is worse than the other..red or white?? and of course I cant remember right now... Sorry

 

[freemotion]

Red oaks have more tannins in them than the white ones, and are more bitter.

 

[Henrietta23]

I worried too since our yard is full of mostly oaks. The goats mostly ignored the leaves when they came off the trees this fall. They went nuts over the maple and birch leaves though.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

Ours ate the acorns from several mature chestnut oaks in abundance this past Fall without any problems.

 

[DonnaBelle]

My goats also eat oak leaves, and so far, no problems.

I did have 2 kinds of hemlock growing in the pasture and DH and I went around and pulled them all out last spring and I hope for no more this year!!

I was advised about hemlock by a friend who raised goats and lost 2 or 3 to hemlock, a ground plant with white flower tops.

DonnaBelle

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

Red oaks have more tannins in them than the white ones, and are more bitter.

Thank you!!!