A question about goats and poison ivy

[Freya]

Ok I know they seem to love eating it.

I thought of a question... when they are moving through it does it get on the hair and transfer to you if you pet them or they brush up against you?

[madness]

It can. I know a person that picked up poison ivy from their dogs. I think you have to be particularly sensitive to it since you don't get the full blast of actually touching the plant. None of my blood relatives have any reaction to the plant so we haven't had a problem. But I swear when my sister-in-law even LOOKS at it, she breaks out in blisters. I bet she would get it from petting a goat fresh out of a poison ivy patch!

It's an old wives tale that if you drink the milk of a goat who eats poison ivy it will either cure your current bout of it or build up an immunity!

[yarrow]

I have gotten a little touch of poison ivy on my wrists while milking now & then...(also once in a while I have a small patch on one cheek.. simply because I like to lean my head on the girls' flank while I milk) I've never gotten it from just petting on them (which would make more sense that it would be easier to get the oils transferred from the head and front end areas..? that is what spends more time in the ivy, chowing down) I've had people who have bought milk, worry about it coming thru in the milk.. but again, I've never seen it.. could happen ?? I would think if someone was really sensitive to it..

susie, mo ozarks

[ragingbull]

My wife gets it all the time from the goats. they love eating it...

[TSYORK]

I've read that if they eat some from day to day for a month or so and you drink the milk on a regular basis that you can develop an immunity to poison oak/ivy.

[airotciv]

As a person that is highly allergic to poisen oak, have ended up in the hospital a few times from it. I always get it from an animal, horses, dogs, even my ducks. As for drinking milk, never got it. The cow that I was milking is the one I have to watch. I'm starting to scratch just thinking about it. LOL

[BethW]

Reminds me of the summer I got my Nigie kids. They ate all the poison ivy leaves off the fence and then proceeded to rub and scratch themselves on the vines.

In my innocence, I went out to cuddle with my new little ones and ended up with poison ivy on my face, my mouth, my neck and all over the insides of my arms.

I'd never had poison ivy before...needless to say it was a memorable few weeks. I sure understand why its considered the Demon Weed.