# Is this toxic to my goats, or sheep?



## justusnak (Apr 16, 2010)

We have this plant..it grows all over here in Indiana. Right now its growing in an area I would like to be able to turn my goats and sheep out to. However...im not sure if this is a toxic plant. Anyone know??





I posted over on the Easy Garden...and it was suggested that it might be May Apple. Im not so sure tho. Anyone!?
ETA: the white flowers are NOT part of this plant.


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## AlisonJ_SFW2 (Apr 16, 2010)

It does look like may apple.  Got this from Wikipedia:

Toxicity
The ripened fruit is edible in moderate amounts, though when consumed in large amounts the fruit is poisonous. The rhizome, foliage and roots are also poisonous,[4] Mayapple contains podophyllotoxin,[5] which is used as a cytostatic and topically in the treatment of viral and genital warts.

I don't see it on this list:

http://fiascofarm.com/goats/poisonousplants.htm


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## ThornyRidge (Apr 16, 2010)

UGH.. yes those are mayapples.. I have waged war on them here in NE OHIO for a couple years.. some people find them beautiful I find them intrusive!! anyway I talked to several different sources and concensus is yes they do fall in the poisonous category but it is unlikely goats will eat them unless starving.. anyway I have nearly got them out of my pen areas. (see a couple tiny ones popping up here and there) and have found that they run long vining tubers under the ground and that entire root system must be removed to rid of the plant forever.. they are very difficult to get rid of prefer shadey wooded areas and remain small and pitiful looking in very sunny locations.. here is an excerpt I have found on teh subject too:
Mayapple, bloodroot, pokeweed, nightshade and  hellebore are other
     alkaloidal plants. They are rarely  eaten except when animals are
     starving for better  feed. Deaths from alkaloidal plants usually result
     from severe digestive disturbances, pain and nervous symptoms. Animals
     usually die in convulsions.  this came from:
http://netvet.wustl.edu/species/goats/goatpois.txt


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