[moprabbit]

I'm just having to move my ewes to a new field which hasn't had sheep in - it has had horses in sometime ago and has been cut for hay. As I walked round the field after it had been cut for hay I did notice some Cuckoo Pint sometimes called Lords and Ladies or Arum Lily. I wondered if that was poisonous? There were also some umbelliferous plants that looked like hedge parsley but bigger - I'm not sure about that?  Does anyone know of a good list that tells you which plants are poisonous to sheep? Thank you 

[EP90]

Google brings up a few lists, heres one
http://www.smallholderseries.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=181:poisonous-plants17&catid=89&Itemid=193

[Foobar]

L&L - poisonous yes, esp the berries, but the sheep won't eat them.
I tend to pull them all up before they produce berries in order to keep them under control.


Of course if there is no other grass or food then they may be tempted to eat them as a last resort, and that would apply to any other poisonous plant.

[Bionic]

Its interesting to see that Ivy is on the list.  When my ewes were in for lambing someone said to tempt them with some ivy leaves.  My ewes loved them and it didn't seem to have any ill effects. Mind you I was only picking a few at a time.

[Hevxxx99]

I've always been told that sheep would eat ivy as a medicinal plant when feeling off and was actually good for them in small quantities. 

[Dogwalker]

Ivy leaves are ok afaik, but the berries are poisonous, certainly for goats anyway so probably the same for sheep.

[Marches Farmer]

Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lambsy divvy.  My father used to sing that one to me.  Roughly translated it's Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy.  My poultry polishes it off with gusto.

Plant to beware of is wild St John's Wort as it can cause photosensitisation which is most uncomfortable for the sheep.

[moprabbit]

Thank you for the replies - I'll look up St.John's Wort. My sheep love ivy!!

[Fleecewife]

Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lambsy divvy.  My father used to sing that one to me.  Roughly translated it's Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy. 

......a kidleydivey too wouldn't you    is the rest of it.   I think it was part of a song way back when;  my Mum used to say it too..

[SheepCrazy!]

Daffodils are poisonous to sheep as Belle the devil Soay found out this spring she was frothing at the mouth and having stomach cramps, serves her right for ignoring boundary fences and dykes.
She got a large dose of Castor Oil and muscle relaxants from the vet.

I'm really surprised to see honeysuckel on the list EP90 I didn't know that one I'm glad I do now thanks!

[sh3ph3rd]

As with lists for enumerating poisonous plants regarding poultry, always best taken with a pinch of salt because many medicinal plants make it onto the list too, often without any deaths proven to their names. There is plenty of old information detailing their uses to treat common farm ailments, which though skeptical on average I have tested whenever confronted with a disease, and found holds true.

Ivy (Hedera Helix) is an old birth-aid and internal cleanser. Was used in treatment of Dropsy, fevers, retained afterbirth, etc. Just a few leaves were the prescribed dose for a sheep sized animal, like you mentioned your animals ate. It strengthens the reproductive system. But there are several types and one is toxic.

St John's Wort (Hypericum Perforatum) is also a potent medicine, was used for Hodgkin's disease, Dropsy, rheumatic issues and wounds, worms, and in Germany doctors still prescribe it as an antidepressant to humans, because asides from the photosensitivity it doesn't have the side effects other antidepressants do. It's sold for human consumption in many countries even though most people don't know what it is or how to use it.

As always, too much of any good thing is fatal. Can't have too much oxygen, water, or whatever.