A crucial factor in keeping your goats safe and healthy is ensuring they do not eat any poisonous or toxic plants. This complete guide will help you identify the most common toxic plants and answer most commonly asked questions.
Table of Contents
Do Goats Eat Poisonous Plants?
Goats are excellent self-regulators when it comes to minerals, hay, baking soda, etc. However, there are situations and reasons that would lead to goats eat toxic plants.
The Most Common Reasons Are:
Curiosity
Drought
Overgrazing
Starvation
Unbalanced Diet
How Can I Prevent My Goat From Eating Poisonous Plants?
If you are able to identify the cause for your goats lack of discretion from the above list, I recommend you start by addressing that issue.
If your goats have adequate food, water, and a proper diet then the most likely factor is curiosity/ boredom. The best step you can take is adding enrichment into your goats pen. We have compiled 29 toys and enrichment ideas that will aid in curing your goats boredom.
How Severe is Plant Poisoning?
There are a variety of factors that impact the severity of plant poisoning from toxic plants.
Biggest Factors to Severity:
Age of Goat
Health of Goat
Moisture in the Ground
Type of Plant
Quantity
Size of Goat
What Makes Plants Poisonous to Goats?
There are a few key categories based on components found in plants and the impacts they have on goats.
Key Components:
Alkaloid:
Disrupts the digestive system and causes muscle spasms which often leads to convulsions.
Cyanogenic:
Contains cyanide, which prevents blood from carrying oxygen. Symptoms can include labored breathing, irregular pulse, and tremors.
Photosensitizing:
Prevents cells from repairing themselves from exposure to UV light (including the sun). Symptoms include swelling and redness, particularly on white areas of the body.
Saponins:
Disrupts the digestive system, causing abdominal pain, diarrhea, and increased heart rate.
Tannins:
The body reacts defensively to this compound, and it causes liver and kidney damage.
Other:
There are several other properties that can make a plant toxic to goats. These tend to be less deadly but can cause discomfort.
Can I Treat Plant Poisoning At Home?
In some cases yes!
Our Nigerian Dwarf Goat overindulged as we were switching from one type of goat feed to another and it caused bloat. Thankfully we had our essential supplies on hand including bloat medicine and we were able to quickly treat him and he made a full recovery.
Most Toxic Common Plants for Goats
1. Alfalfa
Goats can eat alfalfa in moderate quantities. But when they overindulge (often in the spring), they consume an excess of calcium, and it causes issues with their digestive system as their diet is no longer balanced.
It is important goats eat alfalfa in moderation or it can lead to a life threatening condition called bloat.
2. Buttercups
Most goats will not eat buttercups as they recognize them as toxic. When consumed, this flower disrupts the rumen and can cause diarrhea.
3. Cherry
Like many fruit trees, cherry leaves and fruit are toxic to goats. Other trees that can be toxic to goats include apricots, crabapples, nectarines, prunes, peaches, and even plums.
4. Clover
Goats can eat clover in moderate quantities. But when they overindulge, commonly in the spring after a long winter. Goats consume an excess of calcium, and it causes issues with their digestive system as their diet is no longer balanced similar to alfalfa.
It is important goats eat clover in moderation or it can lead to a life threatening condition called bloat.
5. Poppy
Due to the alkaloids in this plant, it is toxic to goats. Unfortunately, goats tend to be very fond of this poisonous plant, so it is especially important to ensure it is out of reach.
6. Elderberry
Throughout the entire plant elderberries contain alkaloid and cyanogenic properties. Making this a highly toxic plant for your herd.
7. Ground Ivy
Depending on the type of ivy, this can be toxic for your goats. The rule of thumb is that ground ivy and landscaping plants are generally toxic and best to avoid keeping your goats safe and healthy.
8. Milkweed
Known for causing digestive issues in ruminants (goats, cattle, sheep, and horses) this plant should be avoided.
9. Nightshade
There are many plants that fall under the nightshade category, but generally they are green berries or unripen fruit that can cause lack of appetite, diarrhea, labored breathing, and tremors. Luckily, goats rarely consume these plants.
10. Oaks
Typically poisoning from browsing near an oak tree has minimal side effects. But with continuous ingestion side effects can occur.
11. Rhododendron
Most common poisoning in goats as they often graze on this plant in the spring when other plants are not green yet. This plant disrupts the digestive system and causes vomiting and muscle issues (including the heart).
12. St. John's Wort
Known for causing damage to the liver and containing photosensitizing chemicals, this is a very dangerous plant if consumed by goats.
13. Wild Hydrangea
Goats should not ingest any part of a hydrangea plant as it contains cyanide and can be fatal.
100+ Toxic and Poisonous Plants for Goats
Here are over 100 of the most common plants that are toxic to goats, that can be found in a variety of climates. For a comprehensive list we recommend a list put together by Cornell.
Aconite
Allspice
Arrow Grass
Bag-pod
Baneberry
Black Locust
Black Snake Root
Bloodroot
Blue Cohosh
Boxwood
Broomcorn
Buckeye
Buckwheat
Buttercups
Celandine
Cherry
Choke Cherry
Clover
Cocklebur
Coffee Weed
Common Poppy
Corn Cockle
Crotalaria
Crow Poison
Crowfoot
Death Camas
Dicentra
Dogbane
Downy Broome Grass
Elderberry
False Hellebore
False Jessamine
Fume Wort
Goat Weed
Ground Ivy
Hellebore
Hemp
Horse Nettle
Indian Hemp
Indian Poke
Inkberry
Ivy
Jimson Weed
Johnson Grass
Kafir
Klamath Weed
Lantana
Larkspur
Laurel
Leucothoe
Lily of the Valley
Lobelia
Lupines
Maleberry
Marijuana
Milkweed
Milo
Monkshood
Moonseed
Mushrooms
Nightshade
Oaks
Oleander
Pine Trees
Pink Death Camas
Poison Hemlock
Poison Rye Grass
Poke Weed
Ponderosa Pine Needles
Poison Darnel
Purple Sesban
Rape
Rattlebox
Rattle Weed
Rhododendron
Rock Poppy
Sand Bur
Senecio
Seven Bark
Silver
Snake Berry
Sneezewood
Soapwort
Sorghum
Spider Lily
Spotted Cowbane
Spotted Water Hemlock
Spurge
Squirrel Tail Grass
St. John's Wort
Stagger Brush
Stagger Grass
Stagger Weed
Sudan Grass
Sweet Shrub
Thorn Apple
Velvet Grass
White Cohosh
White Snakeroot
Wild Black Cherry
Wild Hydrangea
Wild Parsnip
Wolfs-Bane
Yellow Jessamine
Final Thoughts
Whether you are considering using your goats to eat weeds and maintain your property, or you want to ensure their pasture has suitable vegetation, we hope these common plants have helped you.
If there are other plants that are common in your area that you would like to see covered, please let us know and we will be happy to cover them in more detail.
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