nigerian drarf goats and leaves

[sjcummings]

I have nigerian dwarf babies right now and I was wondering if in fall I can give them the leaves off our trees. I have apple trees, maples (silver and one that has red leaves all year), walnut tree, Ash, and a cherry tree

 

[goldensunriseranch]

Maple is fine but only sugar maple that I am sure of, I know red maple is bad. I'm not sure about silver maple. Cherry trees are very bad, the wilted leaves produce cyanide. Mine eat the black walnut leaves that fall and hit the ground and have eaten them for years with no problems, it's the bark that is toxic and usually to horses. Not sure about ash. And I think any fruit bearing tree might be toxic, I avoid letting them have those. Sassafrass is excellent, and mulberry also.
Mine also eat fallen oak leaves, especially the crunchy ones. Mine seem to prefer them slightly crunchy like potato chips.

 

[mlheran]

NO CHERRY! (what goldensunriseranch said)
They'll love the apple -at least, mine do!

 

[Homegroanacres]

Quote:
So much diff between what ppl do

Walnut leaves (wilted) are toxic to
goats.....Mine eat Silver Maple by the bucket loads..Cherry Trees, NO but they
stampee to the fruit trees like plum, fig, prune and nary a problem (even
tho its a no no lol IF its green and a bush\ ree the eat it, R Ba Vi Da included
wild rose bush...Pine Apple, Pear. Comfry is like candy ha they even go though
the Bam BOO well they did lol went at it so much I don't have it anymore

I have other trees that have large green leaves have not a clue what they
are and the goats keep them trimed up to where they can reach and then
wait until fall when the leaves start to fall and they eat them

 

[goldensunriseranch]

Alot of herbal goat wormers out there actually contain black walnut, it's really horses that it's toxic too. But anything even considered safe should only be fed in moderation. I let mine pick up leaves as they hit the ground while free ranging, with only anything in the rhododendron and cherry family being totally off limits. I try not to give them a great amount of any one thing while they are stalled or otherwise confined, besides hay, since they have a tendency to bloat otherwise. Another leaf I remembered is grape leaves. They love these too.