# Fruit tree prunings safe for the goats?



## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

I'm pruning my peach trees today and want to give the prunings to the goats - if it is safe to do so.

Also, I'll also be pruning apple, plum, and pear; are all of those safe for them?


----------



## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Ok - I just did some quick googling and it sounds like any of the "pit" fruits (peach, cherry, plum....) can be toxic, although mostly what I'm finding refers more to the leaves than to the small branches,

Oh, well......better safe than sorry. No peach branches for my goats.


----------



## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

I no that apple trees won't hurt them since mine ate 3 of them


----------



## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

Yep most pitted fruit trees are considered toxic. Apple branches are very popular amongst a variety of animal owners though. This is a list for birds which are more sensitive than goats but overall it holds true for all animals http://www.mdvaden.com/bird_page.shtml .


----------



## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Yeah, it sounds like I can give them the trimmings off the apple and pear trees but not the peach or plum.

I don't have any cherry trees; in fact, I had my son cut down a wild cherry tree several years ago that was up the hill and where the goats had access to it.


----------



## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

I don't let mine have any trimmings or leaves off our fruit tree's other than the apple & pear.


----------



## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Zilli said:


> Yeah, it sounds like I can give them the trimmings off the apple and pear trees but not the peach or plum.


Yep, you got it!!:angel:


----------



## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

ozark_jewels said:


> Yep, you got it!!:angel:


And the pear and apple trees are next in line for my heavy handed pruning.

Should make the goaties happy.


----------



## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Just be careful to give them small amounts at a time with the safe trees, as it is something they are not accustomed to in their diets.


----------



## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

If they aren't wilted, they are actually ok. I think totally dried are ok too, it's the wilted or stressed leaves that are toxic (even have to be careful to keep them away from pit fruit trees in droughts).


----------



## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

southerngurl said:


> If they aren't wilted, they are actually ok. I think totally dried are ok too, it's the wilted or stressed leaves that are toxic (even have to be careful to keep them away from pit fruit trees in droughts).


Actually, there are no leaves yet - it's just the twigs and branches.


----------



## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Problem is, if you are cutting and taking to the goats, you can't guarentee *all* the leaves will be eaten fresh, not dropped and eaten later. So its better to be safe than sorry. My goats browse on growing wild plum and young wild cherry saplings. But I never cut and bring to penned goats. And if we have a severe storm, I check my wild cherry trees for snapped limbs.


----------



## delphinium (Feb 4, 2006)

As cherry leaves wilt they produce arsenic. Dangerous for just about any creature - including children (and adults). Peach pits contain arsenic, too, I think.


----------



## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

In fact, I have pretty much given up winter pruning for my apples and pears. Since I got goats, I do it in the summer because they love me so when they get the trimming to eat.
I got into the habit of summer pruning to maintain smaller tree size. The winter pruning is to establish the proper scaffolding. But all the water spouts and long ends are for summer goat treats.


----------



## o&itw (Dec 19, 2008)

Apple and pear trees are fine. 

Peach, plum and cherry trees (Prunus sp.)would probably not be a problem unless they ate a bunch, but why take the chance?

The main toxins in those are variations of cyanide compounds. 

Some plants are very toxic including many ornamental shrubs..... on the other hand, tannic acid is somewhat toxic, and oak leaves are full of the stuff, so are acorns, if all the goats that had eaten oak browse in the last year died, we would have probably lost half the goats in the US.


----------



## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

I hear you on better safe than sorry... I would just come out in about 20 mins and remove them. I would not feed in drought as mentioned. And as with any food, you don't want to feed a lot they aren't used to period. 

I just kinda hate how people can be so afraid of something that could be bad in certain circumstances, that they forget it's just those circumstances.. or something that's mildly toxic and has to be eating in huge quantities to be a problem, like oak or poke weed.. Next thing you know some new goat farmer is bushogging his field before bringing his goats in! :bash: Or people panic when their animal gets a bite of acorns lol. My animals even nibble on perilla mint. Now, if I could flip a switch and have all that stupid perilla mint off my property I would, but I cannot get rid of all of it. It's been years and no one (cows horses goats) has become ill from it, even in drought (though I'm careful to make sure no one goes hungry, that's when most poisonings occur). I do think a lot of the "toxic" plants, that are only toxic in large amounts, are medicinal in the small quantites animals usually eat naturally when there is plenty of food to go around.


----------

