How to Know What Plants are Toxic to Goats

How to Know What Plants are Toxic to Goats

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Pay attention to what your goats are browsing, some plants are toxic to goats. 

by Jay Winslow  We live on 42 acres of primarily hilly woodland. We have no pasture, so we feed our goats hay, take them for a daily walk, and let them browse for an hour or two while I do my evening chores. This routine worked well for seven years. 

I have been aware of various plants toxic to goats — yew, boxwood, rhododendron, cherry leaves transitioning from green to brown, and lily of the valley. We have all of these growing around our house, but the goats are fenced off from them, and I wasn’t aware of anything dangerous the goats could eat while browsing. 

Last December, the goats took an interest in ferns for the first time after ignoring them. I didn’t think it was a good idea, so I tried to discourage them. I promptly checked online for plants toxic to goats and found bracken ferns listed. The ferns the goats were trying to eat were not bracken, so I thought other ferns were all right. Still, I wanted to discourage them. 

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In happier times: Daisy (foreground) and (from left) Duncan, Iris, and Daisy’s three boys, Bucky, Davy, and Mike. 

One day, though, I had the goats out while carting firewood. I wasn’t paying attention to what they were doing for a matter of minutes, and then I realized they were eating ferns again. I stopped them and hoped it would be all right. 

The next morning, Daisy was not well. She was drooling, grinding her teeth, trembling, and not eating or drinking. I thought she had an upset stomach from the ferns and that it would pass. 

The next day, though, she was no better. I called my vet, and she recommended that I give Daisy some Pepto Bismol, which can calm an upset stomach and help to prevent the absorption of toxic substances. I went to bed hoping the Pepto would solve the problem. 

In the morning, though, I went to the barn and found Daisy dead. I was very distressed that my carelessness for a few minutes had caused this tragedy. 

For the rest of the winter, I ensured that Duncan, Iris, and the goat I adopted to replace Daisy never got near ferns. 

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Christmas fern.

In March, however, Duncan suddenly had the same symptoms as Daisy. I called the vet immediately, and she came over. She confirmed my worst fear that something Duncan ate in December could cause him to die in March. I hoped that maybe because it took months for Duncan to have symptoms, he might not have as severe a poisoning. The vet gave him some Pepto Bismol, and we hoped for the best. 

The next morning, though, Duncan was dead. It was one of the saddest days of my life when I buried Duncan in the middle of a snowstorm. 

I had to do something. I searched again online and finally found a post in a goat discussion group that stated unequivocally that all ferns are poisonous to goats. I realized that I would have to remove the ferns that grow along the mile or two of paths we walk daily. As soon as the ground thawed, I went out with my mattock and dug up over 100 ferns. 

While I worked, it dawned on me that dozens of other species of plants lined the paths. I had no idea if there were other plants toxic for goats along the paths, and I didn’t even know what most of the plants were. 

I had heard that plant-identification apps were available for my smartphone, so I downloaded a couple of them — PlantSnap and Picture This — thinking it might be wise to have two opinions. There are other good plant-identification apps, including one by National Geographic, and these apps are generally available free on a limited basis. Still, more features are available for $20 or $30 a year, particularly storage of all identifications for future reference, which is a good idea if you don’t have a photographic memory. 

A plant-identification app on your smartphone can make a big difference in keeping your goats safe. 

I experimented with PlantSnap and Picture This, and I found that Picture This was more accurate when it came to plants toxic to goats, so that’s the one I use now. It’s simple, quick, and easy. I open the app, press the button to indicate I want to take a picture, line up my shot, and press the shutter. The app automatically sends photo off, and within a matter of seconds, the identification comes back with lots of information, including the most common name, alternate names, Latin name, pictures of the plant to help confirm the identification, description, history, and more. Most important for my purposes, many identifications include information about toxicity. If that information isn’t included for some reason, it is easy to Google the plant and find out more. 

I have identified more than 40 plants so far, and I’ve found plenty to be concerned about. A line of big shrubs the goats browsed for years turns out to be burning bush, or winged euonymus, all parts of which are toxic. The fern that killed Daisy and Duncan is Christmas fern, so named because it remains green through Christmas and into spring. We have two other ferns to worry about, too — sensitive fern and lady fern. Other poisonous plants include honeysuckle, black walnut, catalpa, English walnut, sassafras, and periwinkle. In the good-news department, Japanese stiltgrass, autumn olive, eastern cottonwood, oriental bittersweet, and wineberry are all edible. Now that I know something about the plants we pass every day, I know places to avoid, plants to remove, and leaves to pick up in the goat pen. 

A plant-identification app is a small investment that will help you know what is growing around you. Knowledge is power, and knowledge will help keep your goats alive. 

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Originally published in the January/February 2023 issue of Goat Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.

7 thoughts on “How to Know What Plants are Toxic to Goats”
  1. C and D antitoxin, pepto bismuth along with a gel livestock anti poison at tractor supply together is what you need for plant poisonings not just pepto bismuth.

  2. Activated charcoal saved our goats from certain death after eating a fair amount of Azaleas. Had it not been for the Charcoal we would have lost all the goats.

  3. Janet:

    What exactly do you mean by “C and D antitoxin”? Just regular vitamins C and D? And what dosage? Given orally?
    Thanks!

    1. C&D refers to Clostridium perfringens type C and D in goats. It’s different than the toxoid (vaccine) in that the toxoid can take a couple of weeks or more (plus perhaps additional shots) to elicit an immune response, but the effects are long-lasting. Whereas the anti-toxin provides immediate, short-term immunity for getting animals through a period of high risk. Here’s a good article to help you understand C and D better: https://backyardgoats.iamcountryside.com/health/back-from-the-vet-clostridial-diseases-in-goats/

  4. Does anyone know if Old World Climbing Fern is toxic to goats? I have read that it is not toxic to animals and just talked to someone at USF who said the same. Our neighbor had a few acres cleared by goats not too long ago and while I can’t say for sure that it was on the property, my guess is that it was because of how abundant it is around here. Any Information would be very helpful and appreciated

    1. While I can’t find anything that specifically says Old World Climbing Ferns are toxic to goats, it does appear that three different plants are often referred to under that name.

      Bracken Fern – scientific name: Pteridium aquilinum
      Japanese Climbing Fern – scientific name: Lygodium japonicum
      Old World Climbing Fern – scientific name: Lygodium microphyllum.

      Of these, Bracken Fern is toxic over time. There isn’t enough clear, definitive information on the other two for me to be able to say whether or not they’re harmful. I would guess if you’ve talked to someone who knows at USF and you’re certain of your plant identification, then I would watch and see how they did. Here is a link that might help with some of the plants in your area: https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/media/sfylifasufledu/orange/ag-nat-res/docs/pdf/toxic-plants_goats060210.pdf

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