Plants that are poisonous to animals

RD10 · 25-04-2019 5:39pm #1

Hi all, am pulling out an old laurel hedge at the minute, have heard it toxic to cattl & dont think its the nicest anyway. Anyone know anything about Aucuba japonica? Is it safe for cattle?
Any other shrubs or trees us farmers need to be wary of?

Yakov P. Golyadkin · 25-04-2019 5:42pm

The yew tree is toxic to cattle.

RD10 · 25-04-2019 7:02pm

Yes know someone who had a bad experience with cattle and the leaves of a yew tree.
Cant seem to find anything definite on the Aucuba japonica.

ganmo · 25-04-2019 7:10pm

Rhodedren nearly lost 4 rams to it years ago

BIG buckets of tea helped cure them :P

Donald Trump · 25-04-2019 7:20pm

ganmo wrote: »

Rhodedren nearly lost 4 rams to it years ago

BIG buckets of tea helped cure them :P

Was the tea for you or the rams?

For the OP, obviously ragworth can kill animals if they eat enough of it

Say my name · 25-04-2019 7:30pm

RD10 wrote: »

Hi all, am pulling out an old laurel hedge at the minute, have heard it toxic to cattl & dont think its the nicest anyway. Anyone know anything about Aucuba japonica? Is it safe for cattle?
Any other shrubs or trees us farmers need to be wary of?

If laurel is poisonous to cattle then the variegated form is surely too..?

Tbh I've had laurel trees on ditches and never had a problem with poisoning with cattle. I've even had the leaves end up in the silage and the cattle just leave those bits. Maybe that's luck???

Sycamore seeds are supposed to be poisonous to horses.
Oak leaves and acorns if eaten in an amount are poisonous to cattle and horses.

ganmo · 25-04-2019 8:10pm

Donald Trump wrote: »

Was the tea for you or the rams?

The rams, they like it black

Ultimate Seduction · 26-04-2019 1:51am

Would the animals ever eat mushrooms

patsy_mccabe · 17-07-2020 1:55pm

Has anyone ever seen cattle poisoned with Laurel?
Neighbour here has cow very sick with what I thought was photosensitazation. I've just realised now, that there was a lot of Laurel leaves thrown into the field. I think she might have eaten them.

twofish101 · 22-07-2020 8:14pm

https://www.vpisglobal.com/2019/10/01/cherry-laurel-and-other-cyanide-containing-plants/

A bit of reading for you

_Brian · 22-07-2020 8:51pm

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Has anyone ever seen cattle poisoned with Laurel?
Neighbour here has cow very sick with what I thought was photosensitazation. I've just realised now, that there was a lot of Laurel leaves thrown into the field. I think she might have eaten them.

Problem with cut anything including grass is it allows them eat way too quickly and easily and they will sicken themselves.
Part of our land backs onto laurels amd I’ve ever seen cattle touch it at all

whelan2 · 22-07-2020 9:00pm

_Brian wrote: »

Problem with cut anything including grass is it allows them eat way too quickly and easily and they will sicken themselves.
Part of our land backs onto laurels amd I’ve ever seen cattle touch it at all

It's strange though remember the post here a few weeks ago of an animal that died after eating fox gloves. Never saw an animal eat them either

ganmo · 23-07-2020 10:53am

Had a ewe eat holly this spring. God knows why she thought it was a good idea

Anto_Meath · 23-07-2020 12:01pm

Driving around the country I am seeing a lot of ragworth in fields, I detest the sight of them, I cant understand why people don't pull them. Thankfully I have none, but I do keep an eye every day I am herding the cattle and pull any I see, I have a new parcel of 20 acres rented this year and there was a few in it but I think I have them all now. I have noticed that the road verges have a lot of them especially the motorways, the council / NRA should take some responsibility in doing away with them.

Capercaillie · 23-07-2020 12:09pm

Say my name wrote: »

If laurel is poisonous to cattle then the variegated form is surely too..?

Tbh I've had laurel trees on ditches and never had a problem with poisoning with cattle. I've even had the leaves end up in the silage and the cattle just leave those bits. Maybe that's luck???

Sycamore seeds are supposed to be poisonous to horses.
Oak leaves and acorns if eaten in an amount are poisonous to cattle and horses.

Will generally only eat laurel if they are starved. The same with fern poisoning, they will generally only it it if starved.

Base price · 23-07-2020 1:26pm

Capercaillie wrote: »

Will generally only eat laurel if they are starved. The same with fern poisoning, they will generally only it it if starved.

We had a problem a couple of years ago when ESB contractors cut ferns on a ditch to get access to a pole. Some yearlings ate some of the wilted ferns and we had to get the Vet to treat seven. They all made a full recovery but were off for a few days.

Hard Knocks · 23-07-2020 1:39pm

Is Groundsel Dangerous after it’s cut?

_Brian · 23-07-2020 4:17pm

whelan2 wrote: »

It's strange though remember the post here a few weeks ago of an animal that died after eating fox gloves. Never saw an animal eat them either

Wonder how hungry was that animal, or what essentials was it lacking that drove it to eat a poisonus plant like that.... Have never ever seen any animal eat fox glove and some years we have plenty.

Castlekeeper · 23-07-2020 8:45pm

St John's worth, an Hypericum, causes photosensitivity.
Bracken is poisonous but rarely eaten, apparatus the danger stage is when the fronds are unfurling if stock are hungry.

Say my name · 23-07-2020 8:58pm

Castlekeeper wrote: »

St John's worth, an Hypericum, causes photosensitivity.
Bracken is poisonous but rarely eaten, apparatus the danger stage is when the fronds are unfurling if stock are hungry.

The stock go mad for bracken here (and ivy)

Not sure what that says about my stock?

Lady Haywire · 23-07-2020 10:03pm

Ours go mad here for laurel as we move them past it.
Reckon you can strike 'unpalatable' off the list\!

whelan2 · 23-07-2020 10:06pm

_Brian wrote: »

Wonder how hungry was that animal, or what essentials was it lacking that drove it to eat a poisonus plant like that.... Have never ever seen any animal eat fox glove and some years we have plenty.

Ye my dad still says he never heard of anything eating them ever

Base price · 23-07-2020 10:19pm

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Is Groundsel Dangerous after it’s cut?

Apparently it is if enough of it is eaten the same as ragwort. It is the same family as ragwort. See 3.2 in the link.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4690134/

Base price · 23-07-2020 10:26pm

Castlekeeper wrote: »

St John's worth, an Hypericum, causes photosensitivity.
Bracken is poisonous but rarely eaten, apparatus the danger stage is when the fronds are unfurling if stock are hungry.

Our Vet told us that Buckwheat causes photosensitisation too. Some wild bird cover mixes contain buckwheat.

Lime Tree Farm · 23-07-2020 10:33pm

Base price wrote: »

Apparently it is if enough of it is eaten the same as ragwort. It is the same family as ragwort. See 3.2 in the link.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4690134/

I see horsetail in that list. We have an invasion of horsetail along by the river. The cows eat them, I didn't know they were poisonous.

Base price · 23-07-2020 10:41pm

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

I see horsetail in that list. We have an invasion of horsetail along by the river. The cows eat them, I didn't know they were poisonous.

Apparently they are very difficult to kill out. We don't have any but my brother had some growing years ago along one hedge and had to use brushwood herbicide to kill them out as I didn't want them in the hay.

Hard Knocks · 24-07-2020 1:07am

Base price wrote: »

Apparently it is if enough of it is eaten the same as ragwort. It is the same family as ragwort. See 3.2 in the link.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4690134/

Thanks
I better lift the few just to be safe

Base price · 24-07-2020 1:34am

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Thanks
I better lift the few just to be safe

TBH we have some growing in the fields and until seeing your post I didn't know they were poisonous.
Did Kovu post a pic a of them a few weeks ago?

Tig98 · 26-07-2020 3:48pm

I think Ivy is actually good for them, something like iodine in the leaves that's good for their immune system. They all love it here anyway, especially before they come in and grass is tight

My father had a cow here years ago that ate ragwort. The vet gave her an injection to make her eat and she was fine. Its the same thing they give to old ones in nursing homes to give them an appetite apparently

Lady Haywire · 26-07-2020 4:42pm

Base price wrote: »

TBH we have some growing in the fields and until seeing your post I didn't know they were poisonous.
Did Kovu post a pic a of them a few weeks ago?

Wasn't me, I don't think!

Tig98 wrote: »

I think Ivy is actually good for them, something like iodine in the leaves that's good for their immune system. They all love it here anyway, especially before they come in and grass is tight

My father had a cow here years ago that ate ragwort. The vet gave her an injection to make her eat and she was fine. Its the same thing they give to old ones in nursing homes to give them an appetite apparently

Ivy is great for them, always give it to cows off colour here. It's something which they might actually pick at when they're turning their nose up at grass or hay/silage.

Castlekeeper · 26-07-2020 8:07pm

Tig98 wrote: »

I think Ivy is actually good for them, something like iodine in the leaves that's good for their immune system. They all love it here anyway, especially before they come in and grass is tight

My father had a cow here years ago that ate ragwort. The vet gave her an injection to make her eat and she was fine. Its the same thing they give to old ones in nursing homes to give them an appetite apparently

Zinc anyway and calcium, not iodine I don't think.

Water John · 26-07-2020 8:31pm

Using a longer grazing rotation this year with beef stock. Very interesting what they prefer to the grass. Red Sorrell, nettle tips and briar tips.

Say my name · 26-07-2020 11:24pm

Lady Haywire wrote: »

Ivy is great for them, always give it to cows off colour here. It's something which they might actually pick at when they're turning their nose up at grass or hay/silage.

I always think it's the stocks way of deworming themselves.
Ones go on about tannins in multi species swards being a dewormer.
Well there's definitely tannins in ivy.

Not that it should be force fed. But if they have the choice they'll know themselves.

Relatives here would give ivy to sick sheep to get them eating again.

Some young lad or lass should do a young scientist project on the anthelmintic qualities of common ivy on bovines in Ireland on ryegrass pasture.

Dinzee Conlee · 26-07-2020 11:24pm

Water John wrote: »

Using a longer grazing rotation this year with beef stock. Very interesting what they prefer to the grass. Red Sorrell, nettle tips and briar tips.

You dipping the toe into mob grazing Walter?

n1st · 05-04-2023 9:22pm

What's the verdict?

I've some Galloway cattle that will be outwintered and may have some laurel in hedges.

I'm creating some shelterbelts for cattle and just bought some laurel to plant in it, I've already planted whitethorn but was looking for something to provide shelter over Winter.

This winter will be the first for outwintering cattle I'm now worried they'll graze the Laurel

Birdnuts · 06-04-2023 12:29am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120445610#Comment_120445610

I would avoid Laurel at all costs - a menace to livestock and a serious invasive species. Needs 2b banned from public sale like Rhodendron etc.

n1st · 06-04-2023 7:31pm

Is there real danger to cattle from Laurel?

Base price · 06-04-2023 7:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120449192#Comment_120449192

Yes, it causes cyanide poisoning. See attached link -

http://www.animalhealthsurveillance.agriculture.gov.ie/media/animalhealthsurveillance/content/publications/Laurel%20poisoning%20-Irish_Veterinary_Journal.pdf

n1st · 06-04-2023 9:38pm

Understood but do cattle regularly eat Laurel?

Laurel is widespread but I haven't heard of any other incidents

n1st · 06-04-2023 9:57pm

Any alternatives to Laurel for winter shelterbelt?

Fast growing evergreen nontoxic

n1st · 07-04-2023 1:20pm

I'm swapping the Laurel for Spruce, the lesser of 2 evils

Birdnuts · 07-04-2023 11:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120451425#Comment_120451425

Go with Privet - native, basically evegreen and good for pollinators etc.

Stephen_Maturin · 08-04-2023 8:24am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/110020783#Comment_110020783

And humans, for that matter

greysides · 08-04-2023 9:38am

Same as a lot of things, the toxicity of Laurel is dose-dependent. There can be cases of poisoning but it's rare enough to be a talking point when it does occur. Even Ragwort poisoning is rare, and Laurel poisoning is a lot more rare.

Packrat · 09-04-2023 6:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/114111790#Comment_114111790

Holly is excellent feeding for both cattle and sheep.

I was cutting back trees in February out of a digger bucket and my sheep were following us around stripping it in minutes.

Old knowlege: A few years back, ewe lambs I was feeding were barking holly trees up around the oul lad's house and he went mad over it "You might need them trees a bad spring" - ie cut them down to feed cows when the hay ran out.. - he was thinking of 50 to 80 years ago when ration wasn't available nor money to buy it.

They were tough people.

Plants that are poisonous to animals

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