The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: deepinthewoods on September 02, 2012, 07:39:19 pm
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could i get some opinions on whether pigs could be safe on ex-rhodedendron infested land please?
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Rhodie poisons everthing competing for the same soil , so after you cleared the tops and roots has anything else grown back in it's place? Did you treat any remaining roots or stumps to kill them? If not they will continue to exhude toxins. Lambs have been poisoned from just a few leaves.
If you have removed all stumps and other stuff has started to grow back ,I would be inclined to wait a couple of seasons and let the rain leach any remaining poisons away before letting pigs in. :fc:
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apparently you can use pigs to clear rhododendron but is breed dependent :farmer:
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doug the land was cleared about a month ago. There is hints of regrowth. The landlord mentioned that they were going to get a digger in but they work on a different time scale to me. Mine is simple, 'get it done'. Theirs is based on prophecy, tarot cards and infinite wisdom. Or something.... ::)
i went to see some land that had been cleared by the same methods as used here, but a few years ago. lovely bit of rhody there, should be pretty in spring.... :-J
i think my only option is to find piggys that will reject rhody. could they learn that rhodys bad, via the mothers intelligence? or is it an innate ability?
any ideas of which breed robert? or could you hook me up to a linky?
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type in pigs and rhododendron there is a lot but only click on the ones that mention pigs it has been done in Scotland and wales apparently kunnies are not mentioned but there listing of traditionall pigs is funny to say the least :farmer:
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ok thanks i will. i went to meet sylvias kk today ;)
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In one of our bits of woodland there are two smallish rhodendron and two laurel bushes, both of which are completely avoided by the pigs and never eaten or touched over 3 years of use. In fact they are the only floor level greenery left in one particular spot. Don't know where they got their degrees in plant biology, but they seem to know exactly what they can and can't eat. They also avoided a yew in one of the sub-plots, now unused, which I was terrified they might try and eat, particularly the red berries. But I don't know if this would translate to a whole rhodendron infested area being safe - my pigs did have masses of alternative and safe plants to eat as well. Tamsaddle
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Friends of ours keep 35 sows and up to 150 growing pigs in a rhodie wood. The pigs simply don't eat it, but do root the smaller bits up, and use the larger for shade.
They keep all sorts of breeds, inc. saddleback, GOS, OSB, iron age, mangalitza, and some x-breeds.
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thats great news, thanks oaklands. ive been unable to 'root' out a conclusive answer online.
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found this:
Conditions of poisoning All parts of the plant, but especially the foliage, contain the poison, and two or three leaves may produce severe toxicosis. Sucking flowers free of nectar may produce serious illness. Rhododendrons are more likely to retain green leaves year round than are most other plants, and therefore most toxicoses occur in the winter and early spring, when other forage is unavailable.
Toxic principle All parts of this plant contain toxic resins (andromedotoxins, now commonly referred to as grayanotoxin) with the leaves being the most potent. Grayanotoxin produces gastrointestinal irritation with some hemorrhage, secondary aspiration pneumonia, and sometimes renal tubular damage and mild liver degeneration.
Clinical signs Clinical signs usually appear within 6 hours of ingestion. Affected animals may experience anorexia, depression, acute digestive upset, hypersalivation, nasal discharge, epiphora, projectile vomiting, frequent defecation, and repeated attempts to swallow. There also may be weakness, incoordination, paralysis of the limbs, stupor, and depression. Aspiration of vomitus is common in ruminants and results in dyspnea and often death. Pupillary reflexes may be absent. Coma precedes death. Animals may remain sick for more than 2 days and gradually recover.
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pigs are omnivores not a ruminant :farmer: