[Blinkers]

The additional land that we're renting this year  has an abundance of trees around it including Oaks.    How vigilant do I need to be about trying to pick up all the acorns once they start falling,    as I understand these can be toxic to sheep although am not sure just how appealing they are to sheep or whether they need to be pretty hungry before they start on them?   

Thanks folks.

[andywalt]

last winter I kept some sheep on a paddock that had oaks along the hedgerow, they must have had loads of acorns on the ground to be honest I didnt even think it could be a problem !  we didnt have any problems at all.


andy

[feldar]

sheep tend to only eat acorns if they have nothing else to eat, ours run a field with oaks in it and so far we've had no problems and plenty fall on the ground. Could you run some pigs on there first just in case?

[Fleecewife]

We don't have any oaks but I have heard of sheep which have eaten so many acorns - swallowed them whole - that they fill their stomachs and they then can't eat anything else, so not so much toxic as indigestible.  But I haven't experienced it personally.  Best to watch them carefully to see if they ignore the acorns or are actually eating them.

[Blinkers]

Ahha, thanks guys - appreciate that.    I did think I'd probably scout around and pick up as many as I could for the pigs....weather and time dependent  ......cos I can't bear waste...and they would be put to good use by my lot  .    Will keep a watchful eye.