The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Lostlambs on July 22, 2011, 05:15:18 pm

Title: Sheep ate rhubarb leaves
Post by: Lostlambs on July 22, 2011, 05:15:18 pm
Some of my lambs got into the garden and when I chased them out found a couple rhubarb plants eaten down to the stalks. I know the leaves are poisonous, any ideas on if it will poison the sheep and what I can do or watch for thanks
Title: Re: Sheep ate rhubarb leaves
Post by: Sylvia on July 23, 2011, 03:00:44 pm
I hope all is well :-\
Title: Re: Sheep ate rhubarb leaves
Post by: plumseverywhere on July 24, 2011, 09:33:59 am
oh dear  :-\  we had some rhubarb leaves chomped by a lamb a couple of months back and she was fine, hoping yours are too.  likewise the chickens have decimated the whole lot and are still here to tell the tale. fingers crossed for you
Title: Re: Sheep ate rhubarb leaves
Post by: Antz on July 24, 2011, 12:10:40 pm
Hope all is well.
Although poisonous, its at quite a low concentration. About 5kg is needed to have an effect on a person.
Title: Re: Sheep ate rhubarb leaves
Post by: shetlandpaul on July 24, 2011, 03:02:45 pm
these plants are ment to be toxic to sheep
Acorns
Angel trumpet (all parts)
Azalea (all parts)
Bittersweet (leaves, fruit)
Black Bryony
Bracken
Buckthorn (all parts)
Caladium (all parts)
Castor Bean (all parts)
Chinese Lantern (all parts)
Chrysanthemum (all parts)
Creeping Charlie (all parts)
Daffodil (bulb)
Delphinium (all parts)
English Ivy (all parts)
Foxglove (leaf, seeds)
Geranium (all parts)
Gladiola (bulb)
Hemlock (water dropwort)
Holly (all parts)
Horse Chestnut (flower, sprout, seeds)
Horsetails
Hyacinth (bulb)
Iris (all parts)
Jerusalem Cherry (leaf, unripe fruit)
Laburnum
Lily of the Valley (all parts)
Lupine
Mistletoe (all parts)
Monkshood
Mushrooms (all parts)
Narcissus (all parts)
Nightshade (all parts)
Oleander (all parts)
Peony (roots)
Philodendron
Potato (sprouts, vines, unripe tubers)
Ragwort
Rhododendron
Rhubarb (leaf, roots)
Green Hellebore
Stinking Hellebore
Sugarbeet tops (FRESH)
Trumpet Lily (all parts)
Vinca Vine (all parts)
Wandering Jew (leaf)
Yew (IMMEDIATELY toxic)
Title: Re: Sheep ate rhubarb leaves
Post by: OldGaffer on July 26, 2011, 10:03:36 pm
Thanks for the list ShetlandPaul, I shall ensure my shetlands keep well away from any of those plants!
Title: Re: Sheep ate rhubarb leaves
Post by: Antz on July 27, 2011, 12:02:43 am
I hope all is well, do you have an update for us.
Title: Re: Sheep ate rhubarb leaves
Post by: Dougal on July 29, 2011, 04:41:04 pm
The joy o sheep is while they are all as daft as brushes they are rarely as stupid as we give them credit for. Only when the sheep are really stressed or hungry will they eat something that is really poisonous enough to do them harm. They'll normally only eat yew or rhody's when there is snow on the ground for example and they have nothing else available to eat. Most of the other poisonus plants are only truley toxic if huge amounts are eaten in a short space of time so I'm sure the sheep will be just fine. :D