The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: graham-j on January 17, 2013, 05:14:32 pm

Title: Laylandii hedge
Post by: graham-j on January 17, 2013, 05:14:32 pm

Hi,I have been cutting back topping a laylandii hedge today,I moved the electric fence back into the field to keep the sheep out of the way.
Will the sheep eat this the green leaves that I have cut off and is it safe to let them do this.

Thanks Graham.

Title: Re: Laylandii hedge
Post by: Tala Orchard on January 17, 2013, 06:26:30 pm

Laylandii is poisonous to sheep along with most evergreens

Title: Re: Laylandii hedge
Post by: Tala Orchard on January 17, 2013, 06:28:43 pm

Please also read previous postings here

http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=27433.0 (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=27433.0)

Title: Re: Laylandii hedge
Post by: graham-j on January 17, 2013, 07:59:45 pm

Hi,thanks for the reply I'm glad I moved the electric fence now to keep them away,I was going to let them on it but yet something kept telling me not to gut instinct I guess.

Thanks Graham.

Title: Re: Laylandii hedge
Post by: Simon O on January 18, 2013, 08:14:03 am

I was amused to see our neighbours sheep munching on our christmas tree after I put it out at the front, in preference to the surrounding grass. Seemed to be really enjoying it. Needless to say I have not been feeding christmas tree to my own sheep.

Title: Re: Laylandii hedge
Post by: Marches Farmer on January 18, 2013, 10:03:38 am

The Royal Horticultural Society site has a useful list of plants and trees - unfortunately not in simple list form.  It's probably more than you think.  We have wild St John's Wort in our wood, for instance, which is a photosensitiser, so I either have to find it and pull it up or keep the sheep out during the summer.

Title: Re: Laylandii hedge
Post by: Anke on January 18, 2013, 11:47:34 am

Quote from: Simon O on January 18, 2013, 08:14:03 am

I was amused to see our neighbours sheep munching on our christmas tree after I put it out at the front, in preference to the surrounding grass. Seemed to be really enjoying it. Needless to say I have not been feeding christmas tree to my own sheep.

Sheep actually really like some pine needles - my neighbour (my sheep are in his field) is currently felling quite afew of his trees at the boundary. They don't seem to gorge themseleves on them, so I think they quite like them as a wee treat! Obviously Xmas trees that were bought in supermarkets etc would almostc ertainly have been treated with something to keep the needles from falling, so I owuldn't ever put those trees into their field.

Title: Re: Laylandii hedge
Post by: Bionic on January 18, 2013, 11:51:46 am

I started another thread just after christmas about what to do with christmas trees. I had read somewhere that they were ok for sheep and this would be a good way of recycling.
I put my tree (which came from a farm) in their field and they have nibbled a bit but aren't very interested.
Sally

Title: Re: Laylandii hedge
Post by: graham-j on January 18, 2013, 04:47:05 pm

Quote from: Marches Farmer on January 18, 2013, 10:03:38 am

The Royal Horticultural Society site has a useful list of plants and trees - unfortunately not in simple list form.  It's probably more than you think.  We have wild St John's Wort in our wood, for instance, which is a photosensitiser, so I either have to find it and pull it up or keep the sheep out during the summer.

I red some where of sheep that had been eating st.johns walt,the got sunburn so badly that they ended up loosing there ears.

Graham.