Pregnant doe and pine

[Harbisgirl]

I am getting 3 NDs this weekend - two in milk and one is pregnant with twins. The goats are currently raised out on pasture but I am on a heavily wooded lot. Pine. I know that pine is a treat to them so if they are new, they might go gangbusters eating up the pine boughs within reach and the little saplings. I've read that pine can cause abortions in pregnant does. I wouldn't be AS worried if the goats were born and raised here and were used to eating it, but as a new environment it has me concerned. What are your thoughts?

 

[elevan]

I believe that only one specific type of pine is of concern...Ponderosa, if I'm correct. Do you know what type of pines you have?

 

[Goat Whisperer]

I believe that only one specific type of pine is of concern...Ponderosa, if I'm correct. Do you know what type of pines you have?

That is what I have read too.

 

[Harbisgirl]

Crap. It's Ponderosa.

 

[elevan]

I'd cut the boughs / branches until they're out of your does reach so they cannot each them. That's probably the best you can do for prevention. Unless you keep them locked in the barn until they kid. Sorry, I just don't have real good advise on this one.

 

[Kristi]

Is Ponderosa only toxic during pregnancy? Can they eat it when not pg? Will it affect their milk? OK for babies?

My goats love the pine needles, and I'm pretty sure they're ponderosa. Been mostly keeping them away during pregnancy, but would love to let them clean it up afterward.

 

[Harbisgirl]

As far as I know the resin is only toxic during pregnancy. Ponderosa is everwhere where I live. I've been talking to locals and one person had a goat abort and thought it might be attributed to Ponderosa pine but everyone else says they've never had any problems. I also read that it is a bigger problem in the fall, something about how the sap is flowing. So I'm not going to freak out about it but I'll be cautious. I'll keep a close eye on her and if she see eats more than a few nibbles then I'll just have to isolate her. I basically live in a pine forest - trimming/removing it is virtually impossible.

 

[OneFineAcre]

As far as I know the resin is only toxic during pregnancy. Ponderosa is everwhere where I live. I've been talking to locals and one person had a goat abort and thought it might be attributed to Ponderosa pine but everyone else says they've never had any problems. I also read that it is a bigger problem in the fall, something about how the sap is flowing. So I'm not going to freak out about it but I'll be cautious. I'll keep a close eye on her and if she see eats more than a few nibbles then I'll just have to isolate her. I basically live in a pine forest - trimming/removing it is virtually impossible.

Not freaking out, be cautious, and keep an eye out. I like that approach.

 

[goatboy1973]

Make sure they have a good grass hay free choice and that way they will not eat as much of the ponderosa pine. In a sense, this will "dilute" any pine they eat. BTW, I have been raising goats for 13 yrs and have had my goats in wooded areas with ponderosa pine and never had any spontaneous abortions, but I also provided free choice grass hay and goat minerals, and protein blocks to my pregger goats their last 1.5 months of pregnancy also. I would either not worry so much, trim the trees out of reach, or "dilute" the ponderosa with a good grass hay.

 

[Harbisgirl]

She has been totally uninterested in the ponderosa. The other two have nibbled on it here and there but don't seem to be in love with it. They enjoy stripping the bark off of the cedar sapplings and eating oak leaves. Hopefully they develop a taste for poison oak - there is a whole ocean of it in their paddock.