You may think goats can eat nearly everything. Katherine Drovdahl, MA, CA, CR, CEIT, DipHlr, QTP, tells us differently.
Knowing what to feed goats involves education. Even good plants can develop into a dangerous toxic condition called enterotoxemia if goats overeat on any plant they are not used to. She shares a few common toxic plants and suggests consulting a local veterinarian, county Extension office or your state veterinary college for a list of additional problem plants.
Source: Backyard Goats, June 29, 2019. Link. Nowhere can we find an “all-inclusive” list of toxic or poisonous plants for goats, and most of those lists will be generalized for all livestock or specific livestock. Reader Kristen Fife provide this highly curated list from Cornell University. Here are a few she lists:
- Rhododendron and Azaleas
- Mushrooms
- Yew
- Poison hemlock (and also water hemlock)
- Ponderosa pine needles
- Leaves in any stage of wilt from prunus species plants are cyanogenic (Cherries, plums, prunes, peaches, nectarines, pluots, apricots, and chokecherry in wild or domestic forms)
- Bracken or Brake ferns
- Tomato leaves, stems & blooms as well as nightshade
- Rhubarb leaves
Also see: Toxic Plants and the Common Caprine, Cornell CALS, Link.
INSIGHTS: Mercy! After seeing this list, it is a wonder the goats we used to clean up the grove of trees at my grandparent’s farm survived the plethora weeds growing there. For goat owners this is a very informative article with good resources. Share it on social media, websites and in newsletters.