Author Topic: Laurel bushes and Sheep (Read 16433 times)

The Woodsiders · « **on:** January 24, 2016, 08:50:01 am »

Good morning, can anyone please tell me if Laurel is poisonous to sheep, mine have a full 6 acre field to graze on, do they stay there? of course not, they decided to come up the drive and start to eat the only Laurel Bush instead. any info would be appreciated, thank you.

bloomer · « **Reply #1 on:** January 24, 2016, 09:11:54 am »

laurel is highly toxic

kanisha · « **Reply #2 on:** January 24, 2016, 11:30:16 am »

Have a laurel hedge that is fenced off from my sheep but they still have the ocassional nibble not done them any harm so far. Imagine my surprise when I visited another breeder with a long laurel hedge that his sheep kept neatly trimmed for him. Laurels toxic I knowledgeably informed him ..... his sheep have been there for decades.........he informed me

The Woodsiders · « **Reply #3 on:** January 24, 2016, 12:19:14 pm »

Thanks for your replies, I have fenced the Laurel off anyway, Thanks again

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #4 on:** January 24, 2016, 12:29:01 pm »

Our sheep nibble the yew overhanging our one field - I know it's toxic but I think it must be what they're used to as there never seem to be ay problems. But yes, good idea to fence the laurel off.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #5 on:** January 24, 2016, 05:59:26 pm »

I believe the toxins tend to accummulate in the liver and will eventually reach a fatal level if ingestion continues.

Cran · « **Reply #6 on:** January 26, 2016, 04:28:09 pm »

Only some laurels are toxic, not all types. For sheep its not really an issue as they are more able to handle laurel poisoning than cattle, one thing that sheep die from less than other farm animals

goosepimple · « **Reply #7 on:** January 26, 2016, 05:29:24 pm »

Yes fence it off - google it if you can so you know what type it is - and remember some of the leaves do come off in the wind etc and will blow into a field, so if it's the poisonous type that may be a problem - azaellias (think I spelt that wrong) rhodis and the like, shiny leaved plants in other words, are all potentially lethal. They are all the more lethal when the leaves are brown and dying, the poisonous content (if you will) gets worse.
We lost a new sheep a few years back with just a few small nibbles of rhodi. Tim Tyne, the sheep book man, says in his book he also lost a new expensive tup to rhodi as soon as he got it home. Easy done.