# Hydrangea are they OK for goats?



## luvzmybabz (Sep 15, 2008)

I want more color in my front yard. I found where wild Hydrangea are poisonous but what about just plain Hydrangea? It would be on opposite side of the house from the goats but you never know if they got ut and went for a walk.


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## LLB101 (Sep 29, 2009)

Its not really deadly like Rhody/Azalea, Kalmia, Yew, Pieris/Andromeda are. But it does have Cyanogenetic glycocides, alkaloids, and saponins that can cause problems that can vary a lot with culture and season. There's a lot of anecdotal stories of goats eating it just fine, some of goats getting sick.

I do still have one in my back yard where the goats run free with us sometimes. Rarely will they take more than a couple bites of it. I wouldn't freak out if they ate more but I would give them some charcoal to be on the safer side if they really pigged out on it. 

Cut branches I'd worry about a whole lot more! All the cyanogenic phytochemicals smell sweetish at their most potent time, sort of like marzipan, and make the branches more appealing to animals. So then you get the double whammy of incentive to eat with peak problematic compounds.

Does that help?


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## luvzmybabz (Sep 15, 2008)

Yes Thank You!!! My plans are for an area that will be fenced as a front yard. With a side year where the goats will be able to graze during the day. After I get it cleaned up and fenced. I use cattle panels and do not have trouble with my pens usually except for 2 leggged kind and have not had that since she got caught filling a false police report againist me. Just wanted to be sure they would not fall over dead if the did get out.


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