The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Chris H on September 12, 2012, 02:53:22 pm
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Even with cutting the tree down and fixing the fences my two Bagot goats (both born this year) managed to get out and eat a few shoots of the laburnum. Mad panic, my vet says they should be Ok but to watch for staggers and expect a bad stomach upset. We did as he told us and gave them bicarb in warm water, and are feeding hay. Any idead anyone, the tree is being grubbed out as I write.
Feel dreadful as I should not have alloaed this to happen.
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Was it you a few months ago, asking about this being poisonous?
Hopefully, the goats only ate a little of the branches, and you spotted them? At this time of year, animals are beginning to get hungry, and anything green looking will be eaten, poison or not.
How long ago was it that they ate the branches? Can take a while for things to take effect (hopefully it won't) but keep a close eye on them. I would expect them to have the runs, but that will get it out of their system They will look very miserable while they have a tummy upset, but water is important. and warm water and bicarb are usually acceptable, as is water sweetened with treacle, or what sugar beet has been soaked in.. I assume they are still eating their hay.....
Fingers crossed they will be ok.
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Mackenzie (Goat husbanddry) says to drench them with strong sweet black coffee or tea, added to it 1floz of spirits ( ??? ) as a stimulant. also keep goat moving. I would probably sweeten anything with honey or molasses rather than sugar.
Sorry never had this here (yet). Hope your girls come through.
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Fingers crossed :hug:
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Hope they're alright. :hug:
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Oooh, interesting, we are getting our Bagot goatlings this weekend and I heard they eat everything. I'm scouting our field and digging out any suspect ragwort as I'm a bit paranoid after one of our ronaldsays died earlier this year from a rogue rhodedendron.
Afraid once its in the system its in the system Chris and the coffee drenching thing didn't work for us - it depends on the animal and how much it ate. You can only observe and monitor it. Our ewe died in 6 hours - she was very sick when we got to her at 7am in the morning, foaming at the mouth, it became quite obvious very quickly indeed that it had taken a firm hold. It was extremely stressful.
Don't feel bad Chris, sounds like they are likely to pull though. There are quite a few of us who have had animals fall to poisonous plants, it happens. Even happened to Tim Tyne with a ram he had bought in to serve his ewes - took a beeline for a poisonous plant.
Try and keep sane, am thinking of you Chris - it is stressful. Let us know how you get on. :hug:
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Have dug out whole tree. I noticed that the trunk had sprouted, but with all the trips to the vet with a sick cat, it slipped my mind. They ate a bit around 1ish, having also stripped a rose. They still look fine and are out on the croft eating away as usual. They were drenched with sweet black tea, and have hay to eat. No sign yet of an upset stomach, they just are enjoying the fuss. Any idea how long it may take to hit? we are already planning to spend the night in there shed, and I know the vet is available. Untill today they have never escaped, they have loads of interesting food on a three acre croft, with two sheep for company and chicken houses to jump on.
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In a 1979 contribution to ‘The Lancet’ entitled ‘Have you Eaten Laburnum?’, R M Forrester says that there are around 3,000 hospital admissions due to Laburnum poisoning each year. This figure is arrived at by extrapolating from the number of cases reported in the north-west of England. Yet, there are no reported cases of deaths in children due to laburnum. Forrester says ‘It is suggested that laburnum is not as dangerous as has been thought and that many of these admissions are unnecessary’.
How Poisonous, How Harmful?
Contains cytisine, a quinolizidine alkaloid whose effects are often described as being very similar to nicotine. It seems, however, that it is not nearly as strong a poison as nicotine.
The majority of incidents with Laburnum are related to the seeds but, in 1883, a Dr Biggs reported the case of a 4-year old boy who had ingested a large quantity of leaves. He became pale and cold but vomited regularly and recovered within a few hours.
The MAFF publication ‘Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man’, says that all stories about laburnum causing serious poisoning and death are untraceable.
Looks like you might not need to worry too much :-*
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If they are still fine now I would think they should be ok. :fc: I probably wouldn't sleep in the shed, but if I worry about them, a midnight check is always re-assuring.
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Still ok, but as the flask is made, may as well kip down in the straw! thanks for all the replies, you are a great bunch :hug:
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I actually thought it was more the flowers and the seeds in particular which are far more poisonous. We had one at our old house, and I am sure in the 35years some of the goats must have had a nibble, but I think only of the leaves.
That house wasn't good, we had nearly 15 large rhododendrons, a yew tree, the laburnum and a snowberry hedge- all nicely poisonous!
Beth
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Yes, seeds and pods the most poisonous but as those clips I posted suggest, the whole thing seems to have a far more deadly reputation than it warrants.
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All well this morning :fc: I feel (and look) 50 years older, but the goats are fine.
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Thats good to hear .....I mean the goats are ok, not that you look 50 years older ;D Maybe they did not eat much of the tree?
Last winter, I found the lid off my goat mix, and half the bag had gone. Only animal in the field was my in foal Fell mare. Rang the vet in a panic and explained the situation. The worst of it was, the mare was not used to hard feed, and would have pigged out if she suddenly found corn. Vet said half a bag was quite a lot (10kg)for a 12.2hh pony, and she may have slight colic. He assured me the foal would be ok .....next morning, the mare was fine, no sign of colic or anything.
My husband looked round and commented that there were no hoof marks in the mud near the feed shed door .....I then realised that it was likely I had left the lid off myself, and the hens had been tucking into the goat feed all day ...the pony had not had any!!!
Thank goodness I did not have the vet out to the pony!!
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It is so easy to fear the worst where your animals are concerned, nice to know it's not just me!
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Yes, I only notice how stressed I am after the event ::)
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Hi Chris, good news for the goats! Hope you catch up on some sleep tonight.... I find the goats' snoring is worse than my husbands...
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I'm saying nothing he has just cooked dinner :innocent:
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Hope he wasn't snoring while he was cooking. ;D I always find cooking is safer if you're awake when you're doing it.
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I've heard of sleepwalking but sleepcooking? (could be interesting :o )