This yellow flower is growing all over the place. Is it goat friendly. Jacob was tasting it yesterday and seems to have no ill affects but he only ate a little. They seem to pop up overnight and the bees love them. If they are goat friendly I will let them eat them, otherwise DH will have to eradicate them as I am deathly allergic to bees. crocee
It is golden rod...also in abundance here....though with lot's of other vegetation available to my goats, they let it go to seed before they eat it...never any ill effects from it.
sorry, don't know what to tell you then however, years ago i was in the process of buying 200+ acre farm on a land contract (a year into it the owner sold lock stock and barrel out from under us :angry: :angry: :veryangry: :veryangry: ) anyway i had 30+ goats and i used to let them free range during the day never had one get sick and i'm sure there was golden rod growing around in the fall (hubby has been a farmer all his life - he says that they can eat it but for the must part they will ignore it)
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/ this is the page I use ( I think I have it right) when ever I have a question. Although my goats eat golden rod and nothings happened.
I am about 99.9% sure they can eat it. Out in South Dakota, in the prairies and in 'Indian Country' it is everywere, theres hills upon hills of it, its absolutly beautiful, and whenever you step outside it smells like you stepped into a honey jar. People up there have horses, goats, sheep, and cattle on it all the time. Man I miss those rolling hills.
Well it looks like DH will take care of the goldenrod. Highly Poisonous to goats. Here is another site of poisonous plants and it given the symptoms of toxic levels. crocee http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=9978
Or maybe I'm thinking of a different yellow flowering smelly thing? The leaves do look different.. Or, maybe that IS why I don't see many goats in SD and theres so much of that stuff - no one eats it?
Look at the photo you sent of the plant in question, and compare it to the photo in the link that was posted. The poisonous plant link is for "rayless" goldenrod. Very different plant. Better safe than sorry to be sure, but might want to save hubby's energy for something else...
The link specified with the "poisonous plants" says that the "golden rod " only grows in the South West......this variety they are saying is poison might just grow there....but I have plenty of "the safe" type here in PA....and my goats have NEVER gotten sick from it. :greengrin:
