What kind of plants do horses not eat

[STEPHANIELAUREN]

i just got a new house and want to move a few of my chickens over there but there is only trees and bushes around the outside edge of the property and there are TONS of red tailed hawks around, sooo im going to get some bushes and plant where there is no place for them to get under cover quickly but the horses will be out there also and they seem to eat EVERY bush,plant,tree, or anything ever in there pasture. does anyone know of anything i can plant that will give my chickens cover without the horses eating it? thanks

 

[Wolf-Kim]

A cinderblock and plywood tree? Sorry, if you're horses are like mine, who seem to "munch" on anything in their pasture just because it's there, then I don't know what plants are safe from those four legged munching machines.

If you are worried about you chickens having places to hide, look into NONedible objects, there are some pretty neat A-frame type shelters that are cheap and effective. My chickens particularly like the wooden picnic tables, but I wouldn't put those in my horse pasture.

If you are dead set on finding some plants, try Holly bushes or some other evergreen type shrub. Just make certain they are not poisonious first. Holly bushes are prickly, anyone who has worked in or around them knows. I've never seen my horses interested in pine trees(which come in trees and shrubs). BUT beware, because a friend of mine used cedar trees(or some other kind of leyland cypress type tree) in his horse pasture as shelter and shade for his horses. Had a horse colic and when the vet pumped her stomache, the horse had binged on the trees.

-Kim

 

[kbarrett]

Here's a link to a pretty good article on toxic plants however it leaves out Black Walnut which is also toxic to horses. If sawdust from a black walnut is used as bedding it can cause laminitis.


http://www.whmentors.org/saf/poison.html

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Hmm, my horse doesn't eat bushes or trees..

 

[kbarrett]

Quote:
For the most part they typically don't bother with bushes or trees, especially if they have plenty of good pasture to keep them occupied. But if you've ever seen an overcrowded, small pasture with little to no good grazing area they will turn their attention to trees & bushes even if they are supplemented with hay/ feed. Even those getting turnout in paddocks will turn their attention to chewing wood fencing just out of boredom. The other concern should be young stock which tend to be a little more curious and willing to sample what's available.
It' just good to be aware what is in your horses' enviornment and not let your pastures get overrun with toxic plants, chances are you'll never have a problem but seeing a horse die of poisoning is right up there with watching a violent colic, trust me.

 

[eggsrcool]

Ragwort. Looks like a nice yellow flower apart from its very poisonous

 

[Soccer Mom]

Mine eat just about everything, but they WON'T touch the Rosemary. It's pretty, evergreen and not poisonous. I think they just don't like the strong flavor. I think it would make fine cover for your chickies.

Mine also don't worry my variegated ligustrum. It's tall and pretty and my dogs like to lay under it. It would also make nice cover.

 

[patandchickens]

If your horses get hungry or bored enough to eat "everything" then there is really nothing I would say is safe to put in there. Very thorny things, and some poisonous things, are less apt to get eaten than others, BUT can cause serious problems if horses DO decide to eat them, and you really really cannot trust bored or hungry horses to avoid dangerous foods. So rather than having an expensive colic bill or a dead horse or a horse end up one-eyed from a long thorn in an eyeball, it would really be better to think of other provisions.

Have you considered fencing off "islands" (with reliable electricity involved, from well-buried double-insulated-burial wires coming off your main fence and charger) for the chickens. They could grow up brushy and offer some shelter. If you do not have reliable electricity on the fences, however, they will become a maintenance/repair nightmare and possibly vet bills too.

Sorry, but when you have hungry or bored horses, nothing is safe

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Chick_a_dee]

I agree with Pat, I have to go out there this week and dig up all the darn buttercups -_-

 

[ducks4you]

Quote:
They're not hungry enough!