# Chestnuts ok to eat?!?



## jdjuergensen

I've got a 3 year old ND that is eating chestnuts like we'd eat popcorn. They're not in her pen but close to the house and I let her roam a lot. I don't see them in the list of toxins so I think I'm ok but wanted to check with you fine folks


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## Suzanne_Tyler

I've never read them on either list anywhere, so I assume there have been no goats poisoned by them


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## SalteyLove

Out of curiosity - does she eat the prickly outside part? And then does she actually crack the shell? Or just swallow them whole?


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## jdjuergensen

SalteyLove said:


> Out of curiosity - does she eat the prickly outside part? And then does she actually crack the shell? Or just swallow them whole?


Hmmm, the shell is cracked for sure and then she's munching on the inside. It's quite funny to watch...almost like she's eating popcorn! I've been watching her poop and it seems fine


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## Nab58

Ours have been eating pig nuts. I think they are actually hickory nuts. They're green and about 1" diameter. The squirrels chew them open and drop them to the ground. The goats nibble on the crunchy pieces the squirrels leave behind.


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## toth boer goats

Chest nut oaks toxic.

http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f218/freakin-out-bigtime-149280/

Horse Chestnut nuts is in the Aesculus family. http://www.weeds.mangrovemountain.net/ruminants.html


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## jdjuergensen

toth boer goats said:


> Chest nut oaks toxic.
> 
> http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f218/freakin-out-bigtime-149280/
> 
> Horse Chestnut nuts is in the Aesculus family. http://www.weeds.mangrovemountain.net/ruminants.html


Oh geez. I can't win for losing. I've spent a couple thousand already having rhododendron removed because they were everywhere. We have azaleas too but they're close to the house and I try to keep them away from those but the chestnuts are in an area where we all hang out. I really hate keeping them in their pen all day, I like to let them out as much as possible. Arghhhhh! Thanks for sharing those links


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## Survey0r

That list also has oak trees and turnips as toxic.
I feed mine oaks and plant turnips for winter forage.
I know the oaks are considered toxic because of the tannin which some consider a deworming agent. Not sure why the turnips.


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## toth boer goats

Yeah, I don't know, but this is what I found.


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## goathiker

Okay don't panic yet, there is some misconceptions. Chestnut Oaks don't have any nuts, they are an oak tree with smooth leaves like a chestnut tree but, are definitely an oak tree.

Now sans Horse chestnut or sans sweet chestnut... The horse chestnut is the smooth bumpy one that has only a few short spikes, these are also called buck eyes. These are poisonous...
The Sweet Chestnut is the one with a whole bunch of spikes covering the whole nut. They are green while they are growing then turn brown and fall off as the nut matures. These are perfectly fine, edible for everything, and you know, _Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose..._ :lol:


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## toth boer goats

Good to know.


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## jdjuergensen

okay guys I just attached pictures of the chestnuts....they're in various stages. I'm assuming the green one just recently fell and then the browner ones have aged and started to crack to expose the actual nut. The nut itself is what she had been eating not the shell. The green one I just found in their pen...I didn't even realize that there was a nut tree near their pen. Have to figure out if I need to chop it down Can any of you tell me which type of chestnut you think it is?!?!? It's definitely smooth on the outside. Maybe I'll bring to a garden nursery today and not ask you guys to be tree experts lol!


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## jdjuergensen

goathiker said:


> Okay don't panic yet, there is some misconceptions. Chestnut Oaks don't have any nuts, they are an oak tree with smooth leaves like a chestnut tree but, are definitely an oak tree.
> 
> Now sans Horse chestnut or sans sweet chestnut... The horse chestnut is the smooth bumpy one that has only a few short spikes, these are also called buck eyes. These are poisonous...
> The Sweet Chestnut is the one with a whole bunch of spikes covering the whole nut. They are green while they are growing then turn brown and fall off as the nut matures. These are perfectly fine, edible for everything, and you know, _Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose..._ :lol:


Lol, Nat King Cole can always put me in a good mood with that song even in 100 degree heat!


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## SalteyLove

jdjuergensen said:


> View attachment 110988
> okay guys I just attached pictures of the chestnuts....they're in various stages. I'm assuming the green one just recently fell and then the browner ones have aged and started to crack to expose the actual nut. The nut itself is what she had been eating not the shell. The green one I just found in their pen...I didn't even realize that there was a nut tree near their pen. Have to figure out if I need to chop it down Can any of you tell me which type of chestnut you think it is?!?!? It's definitely smooth on the outside. Maybe I'll bring to a garden nursery today and not ask you guys to be tree experts lol!


I am no expert.. but I am pretty sure those are black walnuts, not chestnuts?

Are you on Facebook? There is a group called Plant Identification you can join and post photos and they will tell you exactly what it is.


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## jdjuergensen

SalteyLove said:


> I am no expert.. but I am pretty sure those are black walnuts, not chestnuts?
> 
> Are you on Facebook? There is a group called Plant Identification you can join and post photos and they will tell you exactly what it is.


I have no idea what they are- someone said they were chestnuts before so I just took their word for it. I'm going to check out that Facebook group thank you!


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## PurpleToad

Want to ask my husband when he gets home but I swear he's told me those are black walnuts and he used to collect bags of them to sell when he was a kid. He hates them but it was a way to get some pocket money.


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## Nab58

Those are the same nuts we have. We call them pig nuts and they come from what we call a shag bark hickory. We are not experts at tree identifying either 

My goats have been eating either nut pieces or the inner shell. We have tons of them. The squirrels are harvesting them in the trees far above and if you are under the tree you will get pinged off the head with she'll pieces and whole nuts.


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## Nab58

I believe this is what we have.....Pignut Hickory
http://leafsnap.com/species/Carya glabra/


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## goatblessings

Agree - we have one as well, although it is not accessible to the goats.


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