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Author Topic: plants poisonous to pigs  (Read 10757 times)

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
plants poisonous to pigs
« on: May 22, 2010, 07:46:25 pm »
Hi there
There is a thread on the sheep forum about poisonous plants.  Does anyone know which plants are poisonous to pigs, if they are different.  A friend of mine had weaners escape into woodland behind her holding, and three of them were found stone cold dead.  She has walked through the wood but could see nothing obvious.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

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Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: plants poisonous to pigs
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2010, 09:16:22 am »
In my experience unless very hungry pigs will not touch anything poisonous to them.  Is it possible someone has been putting down poisoned bait for foxes and they have eaten this.  Either way a post mortem would be a good idea.  It may even be mandatory for fallen stock as it is here when the cause of death is not known.  I am so very sorry for your friend, she must be devastated.

JulieS

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Devon - EX39 5RF
    • Ford Mill Farm
Re: plants poisonous to pigs
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2010, 09:20:25 am »
How awful for your friend.  I can't begin to imagine how she just have felt when she found them.

I agree with Hilarysmum about a post mortem.  I would definitely want to find out the cause.

Let us know how it goes.
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Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: plants poisonous to pigs
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2010, 09:24:04 am »
Fleecewife is the sheep a jacobs?  Sorry showing my ignorance!!!

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: plants poisonous to pigs
« Reply #4 on: May 23, 2010, 11:44:32 am »
Yes I suspect that laid poison could be around, not so much for foxes as against the Japanese knotweed.  The pigs love that and eat it on her side, but the owner of the woods may have tried to get rid of his by herbicide. Too late for a post mortem but I will let her know for if it happens again.  Better fencing is in order too.  I've no idea what herbicides would be used against Japanese knotweed, as we never use anything like that, but does anyone know what could be so quickly lethal?
The tup is a Hebridean, Hilarysmum.  We keep the old fashioned multihorned variety and Laughing Boy in the picture is an old softie !
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

oaklandspigs

  • Joined Nov 2009
  • East Sussex
    • OaklandsPigs
Re: plants poisonous to pigs
« Reply #5 on: May 23, 2010, 07:12:27 pm »
Not mandatory to have a poost mortem in the UK unless you suspect of having a notifiable disease.

If Knotweed had been herbicided, then this is probable cause, pigs like knotweed!

www.Oaklandspigs.co.uk
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Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: plants poisonous to pigs
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2010, 09:23:50 am »
Oaklands thats interesting pms not being mandatory.  For once this side of the channel are showing more red tape than the UK. 

WinslowPorker

  • Joined Mar 2010
Re: plants poisonous to pigs
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2010, 09:36:35 am »
I thought the only thing that got rid of knotweed was a gallon of 4 star and a box of matches!

Sorry about the piggies though, perhaps may be worth googling different herbicides or even go and ask the landowner of the woods and see if they know anything. it could be something very random!

a friend of mine used to keep a buzzard and went out one morning to find it dead in its barn, it turned out that it had been eating the rats and had gooten lead poisoning from them!! you would never gues that one

agrifabs

  • Joined Jan 2010
    • Agri-Fabs
Re: plants poisonous to pigs
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2010, 10:05:47 pm »
are there 'bluebells' in the woodland as i 'think' these are poisenous to livestock? any thoughts on th

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: plants poisonous to pigs
« Reply #9 on: May 31, 2010, 07:14:10 am »
Unless very, very hungry pigs do not usually eat any plant that is poisonous.

sarha

  • Joined Jun 2010
  • East Sussex
Re: plants poisonous to pigs
« Reply #10 on: June 02, 2010, 01:24:24 pm »
Hi all...yes I'm a newbie!  This is very interesting as the corner of the paddock Im thinking of using for a couple of weaners has many daffodil/snowdrop bulbs and was trying to find out if they are at all poisonous to pigs. Also, where we are think of fencing off an area we have a very shallow stream that doesn't dry up during the summer months...now if we fenced off an area would this be suitable for their drinking water??..if not have a bowser to use. Thanks
Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do, than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines; sail away from the safe harbour; catch the trade winds in your sails. -  Mark Twain

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: plants poisonous to pigs
« Reply #11 on: June 02, 2010, 06:48:17 pm »
Hi, daffodils and snowdrops, pigs will not eat, but Hilary has transplanted a load of them and now the whole Island on the pond is covered in the spring.  We have access to a small stream, but the run off from the fields on either side up stream puts us off allowing them to drink from it.  I think its just us being a bit too precious as our neighbour's cows drink from it with no apparent ill effects.  The pet pig does enjoy sitting in the stream, and will occasionally wander down stream grazing the banks.  Sounds like you will have some very lucky pigs!!!

sarha

  • Joined Jun 2010
  • East Sussex
Re: plants poisonous to pigs
« Reply #12 on: June 03, 2010, 09:10:25 am »
Thanks for the info hilarysmum.  :)
Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do, than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines; sail away from the safe harbour; catch the trade winds in your sails. -  Mark Twain

 

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