I want to plant fruit trees but I have goats

[PendergrassRanch]

We need to plant trees to create a privacy barrier between us and the craptastic neighbors across the creek.

I want a variety of fruit, olives, figs, apples, pears, peaches...etc

The trees will be on the other side of the fence but I am sure a fair amount of fruit will fall and I will diligently pick as many as I can for canning and eating, giving away and what not.

What would be the worst thing to plant? I keep hearing something about cherry leaves?

 

[Straw Hat Kikos]

From Langston University.

Prussic acid or cyanide poisoning can be caused by many plants. One such plant is the wild cherry. It is not unusual for wild cherry trees to be present in a pasture for many years and cause no problems. However, if a wild cherry tree is cut or if branches blow down during a storm, goats will readily eat the wilted leaves, and this is when wild cherry becomes extremely dangerous. The leaves and bark of these trees accumulate toxic levels of cyanogenic glycosides and cyanide is released in the leaves whenever they are damaged (such as by frost, trampling drought, or wilting). When eaten by a sheep, microorganisms in the rumen convert the compound into cyanide which prevents the blood from bringing oxygen to the cells. Death is usually sudden and swift (within a few minutes to an hour of consumption). On autopsy, the blood in the veins is a bright cherry-red color. Wild cherry tree branches should be removed from a pasture immediately after they have been cut off or blown down. Removing them from a pasture before they have a chance to blow down is the best measure.

 

[PendergrassRanch]

From Langston University.

Prussic acid or cyanide poisoning can be caused by many plants. One such plant is the wild cherry. It is not unusual for wild cherry trees to be present in a pasture for many years and cause no problems. However, if a wild cherry tree is cut or if branches blow down during a storm, goats will readily eat the wilted leaves, and this is when wild cherry becomes extremely dangerous. The leaves and bark of these trees accumulate toxic levels of cyanogenic glycosides and cyanide is released in the leaves whenever they are damaged (such as by frost, trampling drought, or wilting). When eaten by a sheep, microorganisms in the rumen convert the compound into cyanide which prevents the blood from bringing oxygen to the cells. Death is usually sudden and swift (within a few minutes to an hour of consumption). On autopsy, the blood in the veins is a bright cherry-red color. Wild cherry tree branches should be removed from a pasture immediately after they have been cut off or blown down. Removing them from a pasture before they have a chance to blow down is the best measure.

Is there a difference between wild cherry and other cherries? I don't really NEED cherries. I just want to make sure I don't kill my goats.

 

[verkagj]

No avocados. I've read that goats should not have the fruit nor the leaves from avocados.

 

[pdpo222]

Yes there is a difference between wild cherries and domestic cherry trees. Not sure if I would do cherries if I didn't absolutely have to have them. Better safe than sorry. Everything I've always read they have said "wild" cherries. But with them doing so much hybridizing I don't think I would chance it. Sometimes they use wild cherry for grafting stock. So you still get the bark. Worked in a nursery for 7 years. If you know what cherry bark looks like, make sure the others aren't grafted onto it. They us it because wild cherries grow fast and doesn't have a whole lot of pests. So it's a favorite to graft on. Be it peaches, pears etc. They do use other stock to graft, but cherry was a big favorite. And unless you get heirloom fruit trees alot are grafted. Just ask your seller or look for the very prominent cherry bark. Once you see the bark you won't forget it.

 

[Alice Acres]

We have several varieties of apples (3), pears (2), and peach (2). They are well away from the animals, but all can have the fruit or leaves consumed by them. The apples and pears are older, and I would say make a nice smaller shade tree. The peach trees are too small to tell. And with peaches being really unusual in MN, I don't see any adult ones to judge how they would be for shade or privacy.

 

[Goatherd]

Fruit trees are great and have an end result which benefits the planter. BUT, if you have "craptastic" neighbors and want to create a privacy screen and want it in a reasonable amount of time, fruit trees might not be your best choice.

There are no fast-growing fruit trees and with the proper pruning involved to achieve good crops, they really don't provide the privacy you might want.

Deciduous or evergreen trees would surpass fruit trees in growth at a much more useful rate.

 

[Harbisgirl]

I thought that the leaves of ALL stone fruits (cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, almonds, etc) were toxic ?

 

[pdpo222]

We have several varieties of apples (3), pears (2), and peach (2). They are well away from the animals, but all can have the fruit or leaves consumed by them. The apples and pears are older, and I would say make a nice smaller shade tree. The peach trees are too small to tell. And with peaches being really unusual in MN, I don't see any adult ones to judge how they would be for shade or privacy.

Fast privacy. I'd use Privet Hedge. Comes in green or yellow now too I think. They were working on them to make them more appealing. You will have to trim them once in awhile so they stay full at the bottom. Another is an arborvitae but it's not all that fast. Very pretty. Called Emerald Green. Not sure on the price. Privet is cheap. My kind of plant. Some goats will eat it. But it's not harmful to them and Privet is pretty hard to kill. And you can buy 3 gal. privet relatively cheap and they are already pretty big and full.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

A cherry tree, any type that is actually a part of the 'Prunus" genus" which includes the wild black cherry which is also known as sweet cherry, contain prussic acid in the leaves to some extent. While it would take consuming the right amount at the right time, you might want to stay away from that one. Lots of plants have some level of poisonous/toxic properties but most would require a great deal to be ingested before any real damage would occur.

A site I like for reference:
Cornell University's Plants Poisonous to Livestock and other Animal
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/

I personally love our big apple trees, with their weeping branches. They do give us a nice shady area in out yard that our kids play under. The apples are a mess though and while a few here and there would not do much harm to our goats, the trees are not in such a spot that lots and lots of apples could drop into their browsing area.

If you are willing to look outside of the fruit tree idea, river birches are AMAZING (my favorite deciduous tree). They grow fast, thick, provide ample shade, and fallen leaves and branches (it does tend to shed medium sized twigs when it gets windy) are great treats for the goats.

Edited to add that river birches are not the skinny, white-paper birches a lot of people might think I mean