# Feeding Chinaberry (PICS added)



## Feral Nature (Oct 26, 2007)

I have always read that Chinaberry trees were poison but all my life I have seen cattle eating it in a frenzy if a limb fell down. Chinaberry trees grow out here and are still nice and green. Well half of a tree fell down and we are feeding it to the goats, who delight in getting some browse. They have been eating it all there lives, here and there, and I wonder if anyone else feeds it as I have never ever seen an animal sick from it. A friend told me it is a natural wormer, not that I would depend on it.


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

*Re: Feeding Chinaberry*

oh please NO- it only takes a few berries to kill - must not be real chinaberry. Children have died from playing with the berries and eating them.
I lost a doe kid when berries fell over the fence from a tree that got big enough to drop on our side.
They are horridly poisonous. In droughts in AU whole herds of sheep suicide on it.
WOW- I am stunned. Are you sure it is Melia Sp.? Dogs die from eating the berries too.
If they only eat a little they get intoxicated and so go back for more until they die. 
What a scary thing when I saw the title of this post.
Lee


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

*Re: Feeding Chinaberry*

http://texnat.tamu.edu/cmplants/toxic/plants/chinaberry.html


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## Narrow Chance (Oct 29, 2007)

*Re: Feeding Chinaberry*

I sure hope you haven't feed any yet.

We had to get a dozer to remove all our trees. I hate those things anyway. Not much use for them.
And those popcorn trees...grrrrr I hate those too.

I did do a somewhat studdy on then though.. the nuts contain 2 type oils.. and they are used in the orient for making soap.. imagine that? 
I might have my own supply of oils in my back yard.. in the front yard.. in the field.. in the forest.. lol


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## supermom (Feb 24, 2009)

*Re: Feeding Chinaberry*

Diane, My goats eat it. I was told it was Chinaberry and just looked at Buckrun's link...and it's a match. It grows wild and crazy around here and I would have to chop half our woods down to eradicate it (and it would still come back). They don't go out there and eat it all day, but they definitely have eaten plenty of leaves. I don't know about the berries. Our vet told us he's not had any goats have a problem with it around here. I was nervous about it at first, but it's been over a year and never had a problem at all.

Monica


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

*Re: Feeding Chinaberry*

That is just totally fascinating. Botany Boy says it must be local plant family differences because it is documented as toxic and even people die from it. The toxic principles have been isolated in research and named and tested. Glad it is not a problem for you. We cut down and burned the huge tree next to us and even carried off the ash. There is some literature that mentions stage of growth and conditions of growth as important factors in toxic levels. In Asia it is used like Neem which it is related to but as you know most plant based remedies are toxic in large amts. There are things that look like it but if you have identified it correctly - yours is obviously non-toxic! Glad the girls got some green.
Lee


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

*Re: Feeding Chinaberry*

What we call chinaberry looks like the pictures except for the blooming one, but I should be dead then because growing up we played with the berries and probably ate some too knowing how kids are. Years ago my brother had show sheep and there was a chinaberry tree in their lot and they never had a problem. Strange, but the common chinaberry tree here must not be the toxic one. Or our animals know when NOT to eat it.


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## Feral Nature (Oct 26, 2007)

*Re: Feeding Chinaberry*

My goats eat tons of it, we break great limbs and throw it in the pens. They eat the green berries. They love it. A big tree fell down and we have been feeding it to the goats a bit at a time to get rid of it as it is still green with life in it as it is not completely dead. They love the berries too. Chinaberry has always been on this farm and makes good dense shade. As children, we used the berries for slingshot ammo. My goats eat it until their bellies are full and round.

I will post a pic when I can. I hope all my goats don't die at once but they have eaten it for generations.


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## Feral Nature (Oct 26, 2007)

*Re: Feeding Chinaberry*

I just ran out and took these and tossed some into the goat pen. We usually throw in big limbs.

Since this tree is labled as poisoness, please *don't try this at home!* My "strain" of goats have been eating it for generations so maybe they have become accustomed, I don't know what to think.


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

It seems that local populations differ in the levels of the chemicals that are considered toxic. 
Different times of year - different growth conditions- different local lines of the plant. 
That is definitely Chinaberry. I know they are glad to have the munchies. But it still gives me shivers.
Lee


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

It would be interesting to take samples in of both chinaberry species and different areas goatberries. Have the toxicity levels read. Tammy


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## Qvrfullmidwife (Oct 25, 2007)

Also I know that there are trees that we call chinese tallow trees that goats LOVE and that I have heard are actually good for them that others call chinaberry trees. I am thinking that there are two trees that are called the same common name thus the confusion.


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## Qvrfullmidwife (Oct 25, 2007)

discussion on the difference

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/txgard/msg0810455420034.html


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## Qvrfullmidwife (Oct 25, 2007)

chinaberry leaves are narrow and have several leaves on a long stem. picture here...http://www.ncsu.edu/goingnative/howto/mapping/invexse/chinaber.html

the chinese tallow trees have almost heart shaped leaves and turn an incredible red in teh fall, giving this part of TX so,e of the most brilliant fall foliage.
pictures--http://www.ncsu.edu/goingnative/howto/mapping/invexse/chineset.html

both are considered invasive weeds.


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## Feral Nature (Oct 26, 2007)

Right. My parents have Chinese Rallow in their yard in Houston. It was introduced to the US and is terribly invasive. It is pretty when the leaves turn color though. Chinaberry is here to stay too. it sprouts up everywhere. It does make a dense shade tree, but is relatively short lived (compared to an oak for instance) and is brittle.


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## Little Moon (Dec 29, 2007)

Diane - look closer at your goats, it made their ears fall off! Sorry, I couldn't resist. I am just a little jealous you guys actually have trees, toxic or not we have but a few. Mainly we have cottonwood, pine or Russian olive - ick. Could I interest you in some sagebrush, maybe a tumbleweed? How about some wind? Or maybe a 40 mph gentle breeze?

Anne


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## Madfarmer (Nov 18, 2008)

Well, in W. Texas we already HAVE sagebrush. Pass on the breezes, pass on the tumbleweeds. (Russian thistle--another import.) But we'd be delighted to send you all our fire ants!

Could I interest you in some sagebrush, maybe a tumbleweed? How about some wind? Or maybe a 40 mph gentle breeze?

Anne
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## Little Moon (Dec 29, 2007)

Dang! No takers! I will pass on the fire ants. I guess I will keep the stinky Russian olive. :rofl

Anne


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

Too funny Anne! Squidge hates common names for plants. You have to look at the flowering parts and use latin names or you don't know what you are working with.
Lee


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

I like Russian Olive. I think that it smells wonderful in the spring when it is blooming. Does tend to blow over if there is a strong wind, though.


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## Feral Nature (Oct 26, 2007)

Ok yall, settle down.

We have Sycamores ( I planted them years ago and they are huge), which are similar to Cottonwoods, and the goats LOVE the leaves. The MiniMancha doelings don't stay in their pens and stand under them and wait for the leaves to drop.

And any tumbleweeds have packed up and moved to the desert to cool off and find a drink of water.


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

Can't believe I bought and planted a Russian Olive HUG! hate that sticky tree.


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## Feral Nature (Oct 26, 2007)

Feed it to my goats, they'll eat anything


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## ronnierudd (Jul 21, 2014)

*Texas Chinaberries and goats*

Thank you for the pictures and posts. Evidently there are differences in subspecies of the tree. We feed Chinaberry leaves and berries to our goats and have no adverse effects. I was a little concerned today feeding green berries to them and saw your pictures and am reassured. As you know, that old saw about goats eating anything is just not true. Wish I could train them to eat goat weeds.


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