Author Topic: Hi from a newby, and a sheep question - is leylandi poisonous? (Read 22036 times)

reskejim · « **on:** September 13, 2012, 05:44:37 pm »

I am very new to keeping sheep and only have 6 to keep the grass down. I checked on plants that are poisonous to sheep and though all was ok. I have just been told that Leylandi are poisonous to them. I have a few leylandi on my land so am a bit concerned. However I haven't yet found any site saying this. Does anyone know about leylandi.
Thanks

crosser · « **Reply #1 on:** September 13, 2012, 08:37:55 pm »

im sure its not good for them but then they dont tend to eat whats bad for them aslong as they have plenty of good grass to eat..

goosepimple · « **Reply #2 on:** September 13, 2012, 08:55:03 pm »

Don't get complacent - laurel, azaelias, rhodedendron, shiny crisp leaved plants are poisonous, foxglove, ragwort, yew trees are all poisonous quite instantly too, - can't see leylandi on my poisonous plants list though - maybe google it. I would have thought it was but I may be wrong. One of our sheep died this year from a poisonous plant even when the others had avoided it - don't think they won't eat them, if some of the plants have been cut and lie on the ground they seemingly taste less bitter (such as ragwort) and so they can eat them then - this is often when the plant is at its most deadly.

I would consider all evergreen plants to be avoided for sheep.

landroverroy · « **Reply #3 on:** September 14, 2012, 08:22:58 am »

I can categorically say that in my experience Leylandi are not poisonous. Having for years heard the same rumours to the contrary, I used to worry when our neighbour cut his hedge and the clippings fell in our field and were eaten by the sheep before I gathered them up. Then we got donkeys and these could reach higher up and help themselves, which they did, in large amounts. So I did some intensive research and found that these trees were not considered poisonous. This made sense as none of my stock had suffered any ill effects over the years. For about 2 years now I haven't stopped them helping themselves and they've had absolutely no problems at all.

jaykay · « **Reply #4 on:** September 14, 2012, 09:40:28 am »

The general rule is that evergreens are not good news, but they're not all actively poisonous. The reason evergreens aren't good to eat is that the plants put unpleasant chemicals into their leaves on purpose, in order to avoid them being eaten (aimed at insects mainly) since they keep their leaves all year and so it would be a bigger problem for them to lose leaves.

Goosepimple has given a list of the real nasties.

reskejim · « **Reply #5 on:** September 14, 2012, 07:44:31 pm »

Thank you everyone who has replied. If I read them right the leylandi are ok to a point but perhaps it would be better to take them out.

goosepimple · « **Reply #6 on:** September 14, 2012, 08:33:38 pm »

I did google it afterwards and it did say it was poisonous so ..... ?

janeislay · « **Reply #7 on:** September 15, 2012, 03:18:11 pm »

I certainly know of a horse that was poisoned (and died) of almost certain Leylandi poisoning. I wouldn't risk it.
I also remember one of my children's pet lambs which was in our garden with lush grass - and plenty of it - choosing to eat rhododendrum. It had to have a very expensive operation. So don't believe that they won't eat poisonous plants unless they're short of grazing

Jane

JFDI · « **Reply #8 on:** September 16, 2012, 12:02:41 am »

Note that different plants affect different animals in different ways. Sheep can not only eat considerably more Ragwort for their size than can horses but don't live as long so the build-up matters less.

We have an excessive amount of leylandii but our horses ignore it while they do nibble horse chestnut, oak and willow. I've used prunings in muddy gateways and the sheep also seem uninterested. They certainly graze young ragwort plants, sour thistle and dock.

SteveHants · « **Reply #9 on:** September 17, 2012, 12:00:15 pm »

You never really know how much ragwort they are eating as they will graze it off at the 'rosette' stage. I have ewes nearly a decade old who must have been eating some all their lives.

landroverroy · « **Reply #10 on:** September 17, 2012, 03:22:16 pm »

Quote from: goosepimple on September 14, 2012, 08:33:38 pm

I did google it afterwards and it did say it was poisonous so ..... ?

Salt also is poisonous. It's a matter of quantity eaten. If animals are on a bare pasture and hungry, then maybe they will eat enough to do them harm. But hopefully, that's not how most people here keep their animals. I would say that a well fed animal will nibble at the conifers, as they do, and come to no harm.

Blacksheep · « **Reply #11 on:** September 18, 2012, 09:45:11 am »

We have had a couple of ram lambs get very ill from eating leylandii, so I would be careful if they can reach the leaves, sometimes animals can get a taste for something poisonous. The 2 lambs did recover, but it caused severe scoured and they were down and depressed for a few days before they started to recover.

ballingall · « **Reply #12 on:** September 23, 2012, 10:15:54 am »

Quote from: jaykay on September 14, 2012, 09:40:28 am

The general rule is that evergreens are not good news, but they're not all actively poisonous. The reason evergreens aren't good to eat is that the plants put unpleasant chemicals into their leaves on purpose, in order to avoid them being eaten (aimed at insects mainly) since they keep their leaves all year and so it would be a bigger problem for them to lose leaves.

Goosepimple has given a list of the real nasties.

I would agree with this- no evergreen is "good" for animals to eat, but leylandi isn't as bad as some. Still if it was me I would probably make plans for taking them out. We chopped one down because it was growing just outside our goats field and they could reach it over the fence.

Beth