# Chock Cherry? Can it really kill a goat?



## hprice3920 (Nov 21, 2007)

I have some chock cherry trees near the goats pen and I really cant imagine them not having eaten some of the leaves. I did not know they were bad and I almost feel certain I would have given them some leaves off the tree last year and I know in the fall I blow the leaves into the pen for them to eat. 
Does anyone have any experience with goats and chock cherry trees?
I keep reading they are poisonous and I am cutting them down little by little, but I'm scared if a leaf happens to blow there way. :shrug:


----------



## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

I just checked the fiasco farm list and it says choke cherry leaves "in abundance", and cherries "especially wilted". So, while I'd try to get rid of the trees as you can, I don't think I'd worry about a stray leaf here and there. Now when they start to fall, I'd keep them raked up, if they fall into the pen "in abundance". :shrug:


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I have a few young choke cherry tree's here and the goats seem to avoid them..the only one that I have seen around the one is my pygmy buck, he used it as a scratching post between his horns and killed it, I've not seen any of them eat from them. I've been told that once they wilt they are toxic but fresh and dried they are not as potent. :shrug:


----------



## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

the cherry trees are poisonous but it also depends on your goats. Some can grow a resistance to the toxins better then others. Also the wilted leaves are the worst. Never feed cherries (the fruit) to goats.


----------



## hprice3920 (Nov 21, 2007)

I cut down the tree that was hanging over the goat pen and as I guessed one goat decided he would take a bit once the tree fell. He is still alive today. I have other trees that look like chock cheerry, but have no cherries so I'm not sure what they are, but I guess I will cut them down just to be on the safe side. I feel bad when I have to cut down a tree.


----------



## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

take a leaf to your local nature place and have them identify it.

or try some online garden boards. I have had them identify plants for be a couple times. I wish I remembered the urls but I don't. Try searching "identify this plant for me" or something like that and see if the message boards (like our goat one here) come up.


----------



## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Choke Cherry has a smooth dark bark and an elongated leaf...the "cherry" itself starts as a cluster of wispy white flowers then turn into green balls and turn reddish purple to almost black when ripe, older trees have odd looking marks or bumps on the bark and if you break a branch it will be a light green color under the bark and will smell like fresh cherries...It may be different to you but this is how I identify them , you can always search for a pic of one to help you identify what you have and you won't need to cut down a tree needlessly.


----------

