# are cherries bad for goats?



## Vickir73 (Jan 21, 2013)

I was throwing some cherries out to my roo when one of my does (whose just into her 2nd trimester) came over and started picking them up and eating them (she only ate a couple as I hadn't thrown but a few out to him).  (The roo was in the goat pen and not vice versa - I know I can't allow the goats to have access to the chicken feed)  Are cherries harmful?


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## SuburbanFarmChic (Jan 21, 2013)

Did they have the seeds in them?


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## rinksgi (Jan 21, 2013)

and why do they love chicken feed so much? That is my biggest battle with them.


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## terrilhb (Jan 21, 2013)

I don't know about the cherries. But if you ever figure out why they love chicken food so much please share with me. Not making fun or being rude but all of mine love chicken food. I have to be really careful of this.


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## Vickir73 (Jan 22, 2013)

yeah, I think they had the pits in them.  I wish I knew why they loved the chicken food so much too.  It is a HUGE pain the butt.  The few times I've let the herd out to roam (we live in the country - there are acres and acres of trees for them to eat) - they head straight to the coop .  That's why I'm going to be installing "chicken" doors on the in the main coop doors.  That way I can let the chickens and the goats free range and not have to watch the goats (especially Dafni- she's the first one to head to the coop)  like a hawk .  Hopefully, I'll get that done this weekend and I'll post pics


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## SuburbanFarmChic (Jan 22, 2013)

There is a risk of cyanide in the pits. If she only got a couple she will likely be ok. Hopefully she'll just pass them instead of cracking them open. Or she may have spit the seeds out.  

All pit fruits are dangerous to animals. It's not the fruit itself that is the risk but the seed pit.


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## Mac14 (Jan 22, 2013)

I don't think it will affect her too much. I think it would take more to do some harm. Like dogs, it takes about a pound of chocolate to kill a large/medium dog, or so I've heard. 

(I don't have goats, so this info might not be true.)


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Jan 22, 2013)

Mac14 said:
			
		

> Like dogs, it takes about a pound of chocolate to kill a large/medium dog, or so I've heard.


*

Simply not true, but it does depend on what kind of chocolate;

Milk chocolate: 1 ounce per pound of body weight. Approximately one pound of milk chocolate is poisonous to a 20-pound dog; one-half pound for a 10-pound dog. The average chocolate bar contains 2 to 3 ounces of milk chocolate. It would take 2-3 candy bars to poison a 10 pound dog. Semi-sweet chocolate has a similar toxic level.

Sweet cocoa: 0.3 ounces per pound of body weight. One-third of a pound of sweet cocoa is toxic to a 20-pound dog; 1/6 pound for a 10-pound dog.

Baking chocolate: 0.1 ounce per pound body weight. Two one-ounce squares of bakers' chocolate is toxic to a 20-pound dog; one ounce for a 10-pound dog.*


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## babsbag (Jan 22, 2013)

My goats love plums. They just spit the pits out, it is amazing to watch them suck all the pulp off the pit and then just discard the seed. Kinda like spitting watermelon seeds.


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## Vickir73 (Jan 23, 2013)

well, so far, so good.  I'll just be more careful the next time I feed my roo cherries, or just mash the pits out.  Thanks!!


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## rinksgi (Jan 29, 2013)

I read that the pits contain cyanide and withered cherry tree branches are toxic. Mine absolutely love peaches. Most of the time they spit the it out, but I really try to take the pit out before feeding.
Wow, the wind is really whipping outside right now. I better go hunker down in bed.


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