Black Walnuts in pasture

[LMonty]

The property we put an offer on yesterday has quite a few black walnut trees growing in the pastures. The ground was littered with nuts everywhere.

Is this a problem for any livestock? I know that walnuts exude juglone, and the wood and shavings cant be used in gardening. Anything else I should know?

I understand from previous reading years back that there is a specialty market for the wood, and that even one mature treee can bri ng a reasonable price. Any ideas how I can check that out?

TIA for your suggestions and advice

[mtman]

to get top dollar for those trees they have to be about 14 in.min. and no branches for the first 9 feet or so they use it for veneer

[ldc]

Usually, it's a good idea to put a call in to your county extension agent, to find out if there is a forestry agent in your area. If this works, their advice is free and they can point you in the right direction. Good luck!

[desnri]

If you have horses, donkeys or mules, don't put them on that pasture. Black walnuts will kill them. Black walnut hulls are used as a vermifuge in other animals and people.

[fantasymaker]

they are hard on other vegatation as well so the pasture wont be very producive there

[LMonty]

thanks, all. apparently they had horses in the pasture, but I thought I recalled soemthing about issues with some livestock.

mtnman, I think we would have a few dozen trees there that meet the over 14 inches thing, though I am not sure about the height where the branches start. May only be a couple, if any; that meet that....though I think there are quite a few with branching at least over my 5 foot 4 head. Not far from you, I think; in Marion county. Looks like were going to be almost neighbors Goatlady talked me into checking the area out, and we're both so glad she did....

Looks like I already have a job lined up at NARMC.

If you by any chance have a contact that might be interested, I wouldnt mind selling a few to help buy our breeder livestock. We can talk further the purchase goes through-which it may do soon, Ive got another buyer coming back tonight and is supposed to write an offer this evening on this house -keeping fingers toes and everything including my eyes crossed.....

[Lynne]

We have black walnuts in the pasture for 16 years and no effects on the horses, steers, goats, poultry or foul. The problem comes from using an unreliable source of wood shavings for bedding. I’ve heard that a horse can founder overnight.

[Madame]

If either of you dyes yarn, the shells are great for that.

[MELOC]

my sister's horses have always been around black walnut trees. 36 years and no trouble yet. they also are near to red maple which is supposed to be a problem. maybe they are just lucky.

[Mountaineer]

My dog eats the hulls when I'm not watching, and once injured herself, possibly her throat. Nothing too serious but she had a cough for a couple weeks.

[goatlady]

The biggest problem with harvesting/selling valuable wood trees like the walnut and cherry is the regular loggers will not mess with them except for regular lumber. They need to be cut "special" and the local mills will not do it to speciality specs. I had to let 2 really nice wild cherry get taken out for plain old boards. The mills in the north are more likely to do that type of cutting/milling is what I have been told.

[js2743]

my pasture has several black walnut trees and have never had any trouble with them affecting livestock and these trees have been there for long time looks like. because they are some 24 inches dia. and bigger so i dont think they would hurt any thing and the grass is always eat down under them. but dont think they would be of much value cause where they are in the pasture they get to much nitrogen and it discolors the wood. best valued lumber comes from within a heavy forest.

[Marjorie Dickso]

Nope, walnut trees WON'T hurt horses nor cattle. I've lived here 30 years, no problems. The horses love the drying walnut leaves in the fall. T'is the wood shavings they can't lay upon.

[TSYORK]

Black Walnut husks and shells are a natural dewormer for animals.

[kathy H]

Moldey walnut husks can kill a dog.

[silverbackMP]

Originally Posted by TSYORK

Black Walnut husks and shells are a natural dewormer for animals.

Yep, and the mashed up hulls mixed w/ a little turpentine will kill mange.

[scorpian5]

around here(WI) there are always adds in the newspaper for places buying walnut trees. They will give you a little more than most logging companys do but if you have other loggs to sell they wont take them and if you do sell lets say half of your logs to the walnut place you will not get crap from a regular logging place for price. Veryfew walnut trees are good enough for veneer.

[Shadow]

We have several huge walnut and cherry trees here on the farm. Just after I began turning wooden bowls a neighbor gave me a black cherry that was over three ft in diameter, boy was I going to have some huge bowls. Problem was wind shakes seems that trees here in tornado ally have cracks from wind damage and what tree around here has not been bent and or twisted several times in their 50 to 100 years life.
If you want high quality wood you have to go North, the trees here in Alabama seldom make better than good fire wood. The exception would be trees grown in a sheltered location such as the base of a cliff. Found I would not become rich from my walnut , cherry, and persimmon trees. Its a shame since I have one that is 4.5 feet in dia 5 feet from the ground and its 21 ft to the first limb, according to the local forester its one of the largest walnut trees in Alabama, o well back to winning plubshiers clearing house

[ozark_jewels]

We have always had LOTS of black walnut trees around our horses, cattle, goats, sheep, chickens, dogs, etc. No problems at all. The goats and horses love the leaves and sometimes they will eat the hulls in the fall.

[ergoman]

I had also heard the "walnuts are bad for livestock theory". Put the horse and goats on pasture anyway, no problems so far. Had a timber guy come out to see if the trees were worth anything, I think the 14" diameter for logs is based on the brown walnut in the center of the tree, not the outside diameter bark. When he cut my tree down to sample, (needed moved anyway), the outside was about 24" and the brown wood 1' from the ground was about 8", he said this wasnt anywhere near big enough to bother with. Walnut shells in water do a great job on traps and gun barrels.