(REMINDER) Poisonous trees to your livestock

[shellymay]

Just wanted folks with all kinds of livestock to remember your trees might be poisonous to your livestock, Wander0101 just purchased land with tons of walnut trees, we just lost a couple of lambs because of choke cherry trees that we didn't notice were there and we have owned this land for 8 years now and this tree was right in pasture with lambs, over the last two weeks the tree took the life of three lambs before we figured it out, hope this post prevents others from any losses............

The top five trees poisonous to large animals are the red maple, oak, box elder, chokecherry and black walnut. Careful attention must be paid to animals pastured close to these trees, and every effort must be made to prevent access. Pastures should be examined, especially after storms, and fallen limbs, branches and leaves should be removed. The black walnut tree itself is not toxic, but shavings made from it are and should not be used as horse bedding.  

[motdaugrnds]

I sure second this. I had to get rid of our wild cherry trees for this very reason, i.e. poisonous to goats. (I raise large Nubian dairy goats.)

Just a note, however, my place is full of oak (red and white) trees as well as black walnut trees; and my goats (young and mature) have enjoyed the leaves (and bark) of these trees for about 20 yrs without problems to their health. (Also some say Poke Salet is poisonous to animals, especially the black berries on them each year. However, I found my herd Nubian buck munching down on both the leaves and the berries of a large poke salet bush. Scared me but it did not affect him at all. He lived to a ripe old age of 12 yrs. It might have been different had he been a young kid. I don't know. Never saw young kids eating this.)

Most times an animal will stay away from something poisonous. One nibble and it instinctively knows not to eat it; however, when they are young, they are not so careful...so a good warning is important for new homesteaders.

[countrymom22]

Thanks for the reminder, shellymay, and I'm sorry for the losses!

[Deleted]

I'm sorry for this but here most the area is Timber and that is what most use for pasture. They burn it off every year what sprouts up is pasture.

All depends on the Livestock.

Know one place Cattle had pastured for years. New people bought the place lost cattle to acorns. Me I run 30 Head of Goats in Timber never lost a one and I had Choke Cherries. Not saying it won't happen but I believe it is what they are use to.

Rockpile