# Toxic plants for goats? red maple?



## knuckledragger (Jun 6, 2007)

Does anyone here in the south know what commonly growing plants are toxic for goats? (I've found long lists on the internet, but I would like to narrow it down to common plants in the southeast U.S.)

Also, I'm getting mixed signals about red maple. Is it toxic for goats, or not?


----------



## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

This is the list I rely on:
http://fiascofarm.com/goats/poisonousplants.htm


----------



## Nancy_in_GA (Oct 20, 2004)

I'm in NE GA and would add bracken fern to that list. 

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/bracken_fern.htm

We have tons of it here. I spray it whenever I get a chance, but our goats don't touch it anyway. Actually they don't touch any kind of ferns.


----------



## Rechellef (Oct 5, 2010)

Regular maple leaves are fine for goats and they love them. I have regular maples every where on the property and they love the spinning seeds they send out every spring. The ornamental style red maple is what is toxic.


----------



## CarolT (Mar 12, 2009)

Native red maple leaves, when wilted, are toxic to a lot of animals so I'd be careful about them. My understanding is that, while wilting, they release a toxin that is harmful.


----------



## saanengirl (Apr 7, 2009)

Goats can tolerate a small amount of a lot of things, but yes, in large quantities or wilted red maple is toxic.


----------



## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Fias Co Farms says that the hemlock weed is poisonous, but it's not. My goats eat it ALL the time.

So you can't go by everything on the list all the time.


----------



## airotciv (Mar 6, 2005)

As my Vet says, feed no maple.

Edit: Just because there are so many maple trees (spieces), it's hard to tell which are toxic and ones that aren't.


----------



## Azure (Oct 13, 2020)

Rechellef said:


> Regular maple leaves are fine for goats and they love them. I have regular maples every where on the property and they love the spinning seeds they send out every spring. The ornamental style red maple is what is toxic.


Do you mean by "the ornametal" style the one with red leaves all year or the ones with green leaves all year except fall?


----------



## altair (Jul 23, 2011)

I had the same question. From my understanding the red maple people say is poor for goats is swamp or soft maple, _acer rubrum._ On this website it mentions it's only toxic to horses, so who really knows. I've only heard "BAD" and not anecdotes from personal experience. Red Maple (Acer rubrum) - Poisonous Plants - GoatWorld.Com


----------

