How poisonous is azalea?

[jason_mazzy]

I am trying to refence my yard to allow the goats and possibly zebu more room for grazing and browsing. I have some very large and established azalea's that I plan to fence around. But it will always be possible that shoots will grow through the fence.

So any idea how much is lethal?

I have also heard they will instictively stay away from it, though I really don't want to risk my goats or cows to instinct.


any suggestions or answers?

 

[Roll farms]

http://www.sweetlix.com/media/documents/articles/Goat_BewareAzaleas.pdf

It is important to remember that "dose makes the poison". The amount eaten is critical.
In the case of Azaleas, when an animal eats about 0.2% of its bodyweight in leaves, toxic
symptoms are observed. For a 100-lb goat this translates to only 0.2 lbs or 3.2 oz. of
Azalea leaves. For a 30-lb kid this amount is as little as 0.06 lbs or a little less than one
ounce.

 

[lilhill]

Azaleas are very poisonous.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I wouldn't risk it. "They" say that animals know not to eat poisonous stuff, but our very first lambs we ever owned ate mountain laurel when there was a whole yard full of grass. I definitely would not risk it.

 

[freemotion]

I lost one of my first goats to suspected wild azalea poisoning, and my favorite doeling threw up all night this past summer and I suspect the same, although I patrol my pasture often, it creeps in from the woods. Worry about it. It is bad stuff for critters.

 

[jason_mazzy]

Thanx for the link!

 

[coso]

My goats got out once in the yard and ate some of my azeleas about five or six years ago. I had some very sick goats. So out came the azeleas.

 

[jason_mazzy]

Yup I am thinking they will have to be pulled. Sad part is they are 60+ years old so very very nice.