Author Topic: Poisonious Plant Panic (Read 3190 times)

DizzyandDave · « **on:** May 12, 2015, 01:56:11 pm »

Getting my 1st goats in a week and have been very busy prepping - reading up on care, housing, feeding, etc etc, making fences goat proof, housing suitable and concreting areas.
BUT
Getting into a panic regarding poisonous plants - seeing all my plants in my overgrown garden as a potential killer and having seconds thoughts. Have made sure all plants safe in enclosed area but would like to allow my goats to have a roam of the rest of the garden at times. So what I am looking for is what are the real hidden plants to look out for? Any guidance with pictures would be really helpful.

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #1 on:** May 12, 2015, 03:47:56 pm »

Do You know what plants you have?
Laurel, Privet, Rhododendron, Yew I think are the main dangers, others will come up with more, some plants are classed as poisonous but in other lists same plants are edible.
but it would be easier to say yay or nay to what you can list. Anything you can't id put a photo up for us to name it.

DizzyandDave · « **Reply #2 on:** May 12, 2015, 04:28:17 pm »

Happily no Laurel, Privet, Rhod or Yew
BUT
Hogweed
Plum, Cherry Trees - Know about not giving wilting/damaged
lots of stingers/brambles/grass etc
Have tried to dig up all daff bulbs but have ivy and elderflower trees

Dogwalker · « **Reply #3 on:** May 12, 2015, 05:15:25 pm »

They love elder trees, ivy but don't let them have berries, brambles, nettles, grass.
If you want to keep your trees don't let the goats near them they'll strip the bark.

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #4 on:** May 12, 2015, 06:09:37 pm »

Now here comes the confusing bit :-)
mine love nettles (maybe a bit rich in new growth just now), and brambles, some would suggest using a goat(s) to help keep them down once hacked back?
Yes they'll kill any trees unless well protected, bearing in mind I'm convinced goats are related to giraffes, they'll reach anything!
I find the only thing that stops them climbing is an electric fence.
Foxgloves, buttercups, are more things that can give them upset tums, I've read that docks are supposed to be poisonous but mine make a beeline for them, A little doesn't seem to bother them.

Get rid of the hogweed, I think some are more dangerous than others but not worth risking.

Still wanting goats? :-)

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #5 on:** May 12, 2015, 11:14:15 pm »

Make sure you don't have ragwort.

plumseverywhere · « **Reply #6 on:** May 13, 2015, 07:51:46 am »

Pretty much any shrub with shiny leaves is trouble! Yew tree's are toxic as are conifers (although my goats have taken a nibble and got away with it) .

Mine get regular ivy, bindweed, rose bush prunings, nettles. If you have surplus you can dry some off for winter

devonlady · « **Reply #7 on:** May 13, 2015, 08:34:51 am »

Quote from: Dogwalker on May 12, 2015, 05:15:25 pm

They love elder trees, ivy but don't let them have berries, brambles, nettles, grass.
If you want to keep your trees don't let the goats near them they'll strip the bark.

But, Dogwalker brambles, nettles and grass will do no harm at all! What is hay but dried grass? We used to cut and dry great bunches of nettles for winter feeding for our goats (do it now for the poultry) and bramble shoots are a great tonic.
If you go the British goat society website they will have a list of plants that are "undesirable"
Laburnum, Rhodedendrum(speeling!) hydrangea are the most common of poisonous plants found in a garden. I always found that foxgloves etc. were left well alone, they mostly have a sense of what to and not to eat.

Dogwalker · « **Reply #8 on:** May 13, 2015, 01:16:43 pm »

That reads wrong doesn't it, not what I meant at all.

What I meant is they love.......
elder
ivy but not the berries
brambles
nettles
grass

that better,
couldn't stop mine eating brambles and nettles if I tried and I've dried lots for winter nettle hay.

Anke · « **Reply #9 on:** May 13, 2015, 02:07:06 pm »

Nettles for goats seem to be an acquired taste... some of mine love them (once dried for 48 hours, no earlier), others take a sniff and quickly retreat...

They love creeping thistle - I pull them out when weeding and go and feed them to the goats. They also love dock leaves, comfrey, some dandelion, they go mad for willow herb etc etc...

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #10 on:** May 13, 2015, 10:57:16 pm »

Quote from: Dogwalker on May 13, 2015, 01:16:43 pm

That reads wrong doesn't it, not what I meant at all.

What I meant is they love.......
elder
ivy but not the berries
brambles
nettles
grass

that better,
couldn't stop mine eating brambles and nettles if I tried and I've dried lots for winter nettle hay.

Ah, makes sense now, I was a bit puzzled, thanks DW