Wild Cherry. How poisonous are we talking?

mooman · #1 06/01/12, 09:59 PM

I have several wild cherries around the property. and they loose leaves periodically. there are always a few around the base that are in various states of drying out. My wether seems to love dried and half dry leaves.

So are we talking one or two leaves and instant death or a whole branch? Do I need to take them all out? Anyone with advice? Thanks.

Unrelated question, but what would you seed in your pasture? Part of it used to be my corn field so its not really grass just weeds. I would wait till fall and block it off for a couple weeks to keep the goats of it.

**mygoat** · #2 06/01/12, 10:35 PM

I had my dad take down all the wild cherries. Though the problem is WILTED leaves, which they don't have a ton of access to - goats do kill trees. One storm knocking part/whole cherry tree over could kill goats.

A few of anything won't kill a goat. A lot of anything will kill a goat.

As for weeds, that's the best thing for goats anyways. Goats are browsers, not grazers. While they'll eat grass, they much prefer leaves/weeds over grass.

If I were to seed something, I'd probably do some alfalfa, clover etc. But we've never seeded a pasture, so I'm not the best to ask.

chamoisee · #3 06/02/12, 01:07 AM

I've had chokecherries and goats on the same property, but they were located far, far away from one another. Dry leaves and fresh leaves are safe. Wilted leaves can kill in very limited quantities, such as a good mouthful. Any kind of cherry, wild or domestic, is toxic when wilted and should be planted well away from the pasture or pen, such that if a storm blows a branch down, it will not fall into the pasture or goat yard. If you have them away from the pasture, just keep an eye on the trees after storms and pick up any fallen branches just in case the goats get out.

stanb999 · #4 06/02/12, 04:42 AM

With "poison" plants and goats the issue is like this...

They can be deadly in this setting.
Wild Cherry. How poisonous are we talking? - Goats

They mean nothing in this one.
Wild Cherry. How poisonous are we talking? - Goats

Cliff · #5 06/02/12, 07:16 AM

Not really in the case of cherry leaves Stan because goats love them. They will eat them first.

As far as seeding grass... I wouldn't. Goats prefer weeds and they are more nutritious anyway. Maybe seed some white clover if anything.

stanb999 · #6 06/02/12, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliff

Not really in the case of cherry leaves Stan because goats love them. They will eat them first.

As far as seeding grass... I wouldn't. Goats prefer weeds and they are more nutritious anyway. Maybe seed some white clover if anything.

Nearly 20% of my woods/pasture is choke/wild cherry. The goats do fine.

Because the rest is lush brush/weeds/and a bit of grass. The key is don't let it be the only thing they get. Also the thing to remember is it's only wilted ones. Not live/ not dry they are both fine.

I've seen it posted many times.. The fact that "someone" had a storm and a branch/tree fell. The goats ate it the next day... Death. Sure on a dry grass pasture with little to no browse they will eat a bunch. On a brush/bush pasture. They simply don't spend a lot of time on any one thing. Why gorge themselves when they had it yesterday and will have it tomorrow?

Cliff · #7 06/02/12, 07:51 AM

On any quality pasture if a cherry tree branch falls they will eat the cherry first. It's a fruit tree and they love it. I've had it happen a couple of times but luckily they got it immediately before it wilted.

Alice In TX/MO · #8 06/02/12, 08:21 AM

What to plant --> Deer Browse.

At the following website, scroll down to the Bird and Buck Whitetail and Gamebird Mix.
It has grasses, clover, alfalfa, peas, etc etc. Good stuff for goats.

Specialized Food Plot Seed Mixes

stanb999 · #9 06/02/12, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliff

On any quality pasture if a cherry tree branch falls they will eat the cherry first. It's a fruit tree and they love it. I've had it happen a couple of times but luckily they got it immediately before it wilted.

So yours on quality pasture ate it and didn't die..

I wonder who suggested that.

P.S. It's not just Cherry. Other fruit woods and certain weeds like milkweed, ground ivy, pennyroyal can also cause issues. Really a ton of things. The key as with all things is to have a good mix of high quality browse if you want healthy animals.

Cliff · #10 06/02/12, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stanb999

So yours on quality pasture ate it and didn't die..

I wonder who suggested that.

P.S. It's not just Cherry. Other fruit woods and certain weeds like milkweed, ground ivy, pennyroyal can also cause issues. Really a ton of things. The key as with all things is to have a good mix of high quality browse if you want healthy animals.

Yes stan, because they got it before it wilted. It could've just as easily gone another way, we were lucky. I don't really understand your point?

Pony · #11 06/02/12, 08:40 AM

We have a lot of peach ("volunteer" and cultivated) here. I'm careful to keep the goats clear of that, though they do occasionally get a nibble (Trub especially).

I have some grass seed I want to get in the ground. Lespedeza, clover, alfalfa, a few others. Probably very similar to the mix Alice mentioned. I got it from Shumway (but added the organic alfalfa myself).

stanb999 · #12 06/02/12, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliff

Yes stan, because they got it before it wilted. It could've just as easily gone another way, we were lucky. I don't really understand your point?

The point is the first post asked how toxic. The following posts made it seem rather deadly.. One poster even suggested a goat eating just a mouth full would be deadly. Fact is this is bunk.

The toxins in cherry would need to be eaten regular for a while to cause death. Like a single goat or small herd on a bare pasture after a strong wind storm knocked down a substantial tree. It would take several days to consume and they would consume it mostly due to the bare ground otherwise. The situation that needs to be guarded against is bare pastures... Not the occasional cherry bush/tree or other "toxic" plant for that matter.

stanb999 · #13 06/02/12, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pony

We have a lot of peach ("volunteer" and cultivated) here. I'm careful to keep the goats clear of that, though they do occasionally get a nibble (Trub especially).

I have some grass seed I want to get in the ground. Lespedeza, clover, alfalfa, a few others. Probably very similar to the mix Alice mentioned. I got it from Shumway (but added the organic alfalfa myself).

Plants Toxic to Goats by Rona Sullivan from the March/April, 2009 issue of Dairy Goat Journal. Presenting information, ideas, and insights for everyone who raises, manages, or just loves goats.

Better watch the clover...

P.S. you can find lists that "outlaw" everything.

Cliff · #14 06/02/12, 08:55 AM

Cherry is very toxic. As little as 2 oz of wilted leaves can kill. Read:

46. WILD BLACK CHERRY

ETA - not sure why you are arguing about this stan... there's no disputing the toxicity of cherry. As animal owners it's our job to be aware of the risks of toxicity of plants and try to avoid problems. For instance I would never make hay from or pasture extremely droughty or recently frozen Johnson grass. Just common sense. Nobody is telling you to do anything with your cherry trees, what you do is your business. But you certainly can't deny their toxicity.

stanb999 · #15 06/02/12, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliff

Cherry is very toxic. As little as 2 oz of wilted leaves can kill. Read:

46. WILD BLACK CHERRY

And yet....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliff

On any quality pasture if a cherry tree branch falls they will eat the cherry first. It's a fruit tree and they love it. I've had it happen a couple of times but luckily they got it immediately before it wilted.

stanb999 · #16 06/02/12, 09:00 AM

Really goats are best fed this way...

Wild Cherry. How poisonous are we talking? - Goats

On a dry fenced lot.

Cliff · #17 06/02/12, 09:03 AM

I am not following your logic.. or lack of maybe. They ate a small branch of fresh, not wilted cherry leaves and they did not die. What is your point???

yarrow · #18 06/02/12, 09:34 AM

gotta tell ya.... my goats would MUCH rather take their *chances* out in the *mean streets* of our woods.. facing danger from the occasional wild cherry tree... then to be imprisoned and fed oddly green, rock hard pellets (that I suspect are made much the way *scrapple* is.. the stuff they sweep up off the floor LOL).....

we are in the Ozarks... all sorts of wild fruit trees... the does browse 20 acres of woods/meadows every day, all day long... I have yet to have a single case of bad tree.... IF there is a bad storm and I have any concerns about a downed cherry (or other fruit tree)... it doesn't take much to walk out and take a looks-ee .. then we take care of it (that's what the chain saw is for).. we simply keep the goats up at the barn until clean up is down... then they are back out in THEIR woods... not a big deal... again, lots of ways to raise goats.. many of those ways.. well.. I just don't understand LOL

susie, mo ozarks...

Pony · #19 06/02/12, 10:01 AM

LOL, Yarrow!

My goats roam the acreage, AND we give them their "junk" food too (alfalfa pellets).

I wonder how this digressed into (yet another) feed discussion... We are so funny about our goats!

mrs whodunit · #20 06/02/12, 10:04 AM

Ten + years of goats and cherry trees. Nothing happened. Goats love the leaves and ate them regularly. The goats had 70+ acres to eat from.

The only goat that got sick was the nanny who got out and ate lupine.