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black locust dangerous to horses?

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posted 12 years ago

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Is it safe to grow Black Locust near (across the street from) a horse pasture? I have heard that it is poisonous for horses and cows and that it spreads easily.

Thanks.

John Polk

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posted 12 years ago

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I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Black Locust does spread, and can send roots 'across the street', but it will take a long time.
If you coppice it a lot, that may send the roots out, but I would imagine that coppicing would have more of an effect on growing new shoots near where it has been cut. (Just guessing on that.)

kent smith

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Location: Pennsylvania

posted 12 years ago

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we have black locus growing on the east side of our pasture and it does sprout up out in the field, but the cows mow it down.
kent

Kent

Greta Fields

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posted 11 years ago

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My horses ran loose in a pasture with lots of black locust around but never got sick. My sister's horse died after eating wild cherry leaves, which contain cyanide when dry. I think her horse was just bored, on low pasture., and nibbling on anything it could find. It ran to the creek and keeled over.

Cj Sloane

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posted 11 years ago

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After lots of research, I've determined BL is only bad for horses. My cows & sheep eat it no problem.

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Kris schulenburg

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posted 11 years ago

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we have a lot in the pastures and my horses never touch it

John Polk

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posted 11 years ago

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I believe that the key lies in having enough variety in the pasture.
Most animals are smart enough to not eat poisons unless they need to self medicate.
(Humans are about the only animal dumb enough to 'OD')

As the Swiss-born alchemist Paraclesus observed,

All substances are poisons; there is none which is not a poison.
The right dose differentiates a poison and a remedy.

josh brill

Posts: 86

posted 11 years ago

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I second the idea that given good forage they will be fine. Around us dairy farmers warn about having to many apples in the pasture. If the cows eat to many green apples they colic(bloat) and can die. But given enough grass our cows and sheep do just fine. It seems like smart rotational grazing would keep it safe.

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R Scott

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posted 11 years ago

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If any animal has the ability to eat as stupidly as a human, it would be a horse--especially a fancy high-brow horse. MUCH more likely to get bloat from too good of pasture than poison themselves on browse.

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Cj Sloane

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posted 11 years ago

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They warn about cows eating apples here to but mainly because they get drunk off them and then you can't keep them in the pasture.

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