# buckwheat for hay?



## bornagain62511 (Mar 3, 2015)

we have a field we planted with buckwheat as a cover crop and it also has a bunch of weeds in it. Does anyone know if the buckwheat plant would be ok to feed goats if I make hay out of it? There's also foxtail and some other various weeds in the mix. I'd probably just feed it to the bucks if you think it's any good at all. just wondering cause my 1st and 2nd crop alfalfa were a total loss due to wet weather and moldy hay, so I'm considering baling this buckwheat and weed field if you think it's any good.

thanks,


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## bornagain62511 (Mar 3, 2015)

*not sure what this means, says buckwheat is a "photosensitizing plant"..sounds like it might make them sensitive to sunlight??? from this site: http://countrysidenetwork.com/daily/livestock/goats/poisonous-plants-for-goats/*

*POISONOUS PLANTS FOR GOATS BY CATEGORY*

• *Volatile or essential oils as poisonous principle:* Baneberry, buttercups, crowfoot, ground ivy, lobelia, snakeberry, spurge, white cohosh.
*• Saponin containing plants:* Bagpod, coffee weed, purple sesban, rattlebox, soapwort.
*• Photosensitizing plants:* Buckwheat, goat weed, klamath weed, lantana, rape, St. John's Wort.
• *Plants that cause mechanical injury*: Clover, cocklebur, downy brome grass, sand bur, squirrel tail grass.
*• Tannic acid as a poisonous principle:* Oaks
*• Poisonous principle not fully known*: Inkberry (poke weed)
*• Resins as poisonous principle:* Some discarded Christmas trees, namely Ponderosa pine needles.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Not sure. Goathiker would know.


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## bornagain62511 (Mar 3, 2015)

here's another source saying the same thing: http://poisonousplants.ansci.cornell.edu/goatlist.html

*Photosensitizing:*

Photosensitivity describes an abnormal sensitivity to light, and may result as an inability of cells to repair themselves when exposed to UV light. Complications may result in production of metabolites throughout the body.


Buckwheat
Goat Weed
Klamath Weed


Lantana
Rape
St. John's Wort


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Yikes - so sorry about your alfalfa losses. I have zero experience with buckwheat. Sure hope somebody else can answer for you. I would imagine it to have very very little nutrition and protein unless you get it cut and dried before it goes to seed and without knocking the seed heads off.


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## bornagain62511 (Mar 3, 2015)

thanks! I cut 3rd crop 2 days ago and looks like I should have 2 or 3 more good dry days, so hopefully this works out. Although, there is a lot less tonnage with this cutting compared to 1st and 2nd crop, so I'm hoping to get at least a decent 4th crop in a few weeks, as we have to cut no later than September 1st around here so that the alfalfa can prepare for winter survival.


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