Paralyzed litter

[MaggieJ]

Milkweed is indeed toxic, but it is also very bitter. I've never had a problem with my free ranging chickens eating it... There are so many other, more delicious, plants for them to eat. I once saw a cottontail rabbit eat three quarters of a large milkweed leaf. I assume it was self-medicating for something. No idea if it harmed it or not, of course, but if this was common behaviour you would think it would impact on the local population and there has been no indication of this. I believe some members of the milkweed family are more toxic than others.

 

[andyva]

I've been reading up on the milkweed poisoning issue. Seems like the western varieties are more documented in causing problems with livestock. I think it is supposed to cause head paralysis in rabbits. The common milkweed we have around here ( Asclepias syriacaseems) to be poisonous too, but what symptoms it causes I don't know. We have caper spurge too, it is a milkweed like plant that is poisonous as well.

 

[AmysMacdog]

I'm so sorry for your losses Ollitos. That was a horrible thing for you and the bunnies to go through. I lost a beautiful blue Dutch doe to milkweed once. It was in the hay I bought and I couldn't see it in the hay.

 

[AnnClaire]

There's also jimson weed which can be deadly http://us.yhs4.search.yahoo.com/yhs...=yhs-shopathome_001&type=100973&p=jimsen weed

Locoweed (general term) http://us.yhs4.search.yahoo.com/yhs...mp=yhs-shopathome_001&type=100973&p=loco weed

I try to keep the milk weed out, but the numbnutz north of me won't keep their lawn mowed and it's all weeds! uggg!

If there is any way to allow the vegetation to grow to about 6" you will be able to spot the poisionous weeds ... look for a blue-grey spiky plant.