# harmful to goats?



## BlessedMom (Jul 20, 2004)

Can anyone tell me if Photinias or Arborvitaes are harmful to goats?
I know that cherrys and plums are right?
We are trying to make a new area for our buck and soon to be wether. There are these large tall arborviateas covered in black berries that they will be able to get to. Do you think this will be okay?

Thanks for all your wisdom!

Lori


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## MoBarger (Mar 5, 2003)

http://www.goatworld.com/health/plants/


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## dragonfly65 (Sep 29, 2002)

I don't know about the other plants, but I can tell you from personal experience that they won't be covered in blackberries for long. My goats LOVED my blackberry vines. I'm going to have to hunt for them in the road ditches this year cause I don't have any more here.


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## BlessedMom (Jul 20, 2004)

MoBarger said:


> http://www.goatworld.com/health/plants/


I think I would need to be a botanist to figure out this list.
I have no idea where these two plants would fall.
I thought ALL plants did photosythesis??

Lori


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## MoBarger (Mar 5, 2003)

BlessedMom said:


> I think I would need to be a botanist to figure out this list.
> I have no idea where these two plants would fall.
> I thought ALL plants did photosythesis??
> 
> Lori


Long list of common names in pull down list, upper right. Check it out.

Also using Google I found:


> From this site:
> http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/botany/ncs...ular_plants.htm
> 
> "Photinia spp. - Photinia
> ...


From same site:


> Poisonous Vascular Plants
> 
> (arranged by family)
> 
> ...


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## BlessedMom (Jul 20, 2004)

MoBarger said:


> Long list of common names in pull down list, upper right. Check it out.
> 
> Also using Google I found:
> 
> ...


Oh thank you, I didn't see that before. I was so bewildered!
Oh dear, how do goats survive? I'm so paranoid that they are going to eat something and become ill or die! ACK!

Lori


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## windyhollowfarm (Mar 3, 2005)

In the fields bordering my goat pens grows lots of milkweed. It is poisounous to goats. My goats escape sometimes and browse out in the field containing milkweed. Sometimes I even purposely let them out to browse in the fields or get them to go for a walk as they follow me. My goats never touch the milkweed. It is said that goats know what is good for them and what isnt. Now I wouldnt try this with young goats as they mouth everything. Also, my goats are adequately feed and have browse w/in their pasture.


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## Jen H (Jun 16, 2004)

A lot of the plants listed are only poisonous at certain times, and only certain parts of the plant are poisonous. It also depends on what else the animal is eating and on how full their stomach is. 

I give my goats a couple flakes of hay first thing in the morning. Then I let them into the pasture after I've had my coffee - this way they have hay already in their rumen to buffer whatever else they might get into during the day.

For what it's worth, my goats have eaten rhododendrons with no apparent ill effect. They've chowed down on fresh cherry and plum leaves (and eaten the cherries and plums  ). They've gotten into bracken fern. They're still wandering around figuring out how to open the latest gate latch I installed. 

Remember that goats are browsers - they take nibbles here and there, they won't normally eat an entire plant. It's unlikely that they'll eat enough of any one plant to really hurt themselves as long as there's plenty of other stuff to munch on.


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