I have a ton of questions LoL

[taters-Monica]

We have a creeping myrtle, poison ivy and english ivy problem and having some goats and sheep will help. I know that when animals ppop, they have seeds and plant matter all in a nice "package" and ready to reseed. Are we going to further our headaches by letting them eat the plants? We want to get rid of these plants entirely at some point, not propagate them, especially since part of our rotation of pasture will include a location that is free of these problem plants.

I am EXTREMELY allergic to poison ivy, and even touching my animals will likely cause a reaction that will require several shots. How do i manage to take care of my animals without getting exposed? (gosh just thinking about it makes me itch)

Thanks for your advice.

p.s. I did ask on the barkyardherds site, but so far i got no responses, so if i can get some feedback, that would be great.
Oh and i live in Ohio, zone 5,

 

[flowerbug]

it is pretty hard to keep everything out of such plants and to prevent them from spreading the seeds and itches around.

basically, you're going to have to know where it is and keep animals out of there as long as you plan on touching those animals. otherwise, you'll have to keep well covered and wash well (there's some good vids on youtube about how to wash properly) when you come in from being outside.

as for seeds in the poos, i don't know any details about that, poison ivy seeds survive a birds digestive system, but i'm not sure how they manage in ruminants. i hope they don't survive and come out all chewed up and digested. i did read recently that the milk is not affected by the poison in poison ivy so that's good to know, but you still have to be careful if the animals have the poisons on their fur/skin/etc. nothing's easy at times for reactive sorts (i'm one of them too and Mom is even worse than i am).

 

[seedcorn]

IMO, you can play with the problem or......get serious and use chemistry and get rid of the problem in a few weeks.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum, glad you joined.

I know that when animals ppop, they have seeds and plant matter all in a nice "package" and ready to reseed. Are we going to further our headaches by letting them eat the plants?

I don't know how well those seeds survive a goat or sheep's digestive system. I suggest you call your county extension office and see what they have to say. Or maybe call the Ag Department at Ohio State, that's your land grant university. I don't think you are going to like the answer but that's just me guessing.

Can you try grazing that area when those plants are not in seed? I know the birds and other animals won't get them all but at least minimize the spread beyond what the birds do. Try to stop them going to seed. If a seed sprouts in their grazing area hopefully they will take care of the sprout. Depending on your grazing rotation seed sprouting from their poop may not be much of a problem. Birds may be worse.

How do i manage to take care of my animals without getting exposed?

I'm not sure what you mean by taking care of them. If they are milk goats I don't think you have a chance, you have to touch them. Don't make pets out of them where they like to rub against you. Get someone else to shear the sheep.

Other than setting it up so you can feed them across a fence I don't have a clue. If one is injured or sick somebody needs to take care of it.

 

[flowerbug]

in looking online i see a few references in articles saying that the seeds are destroyed in the digestive system of goats, but i will make no claims about sheep.

Goats As Invasive Species Control - Modern Farmer

On paper, it looks grand from every angle. A herd of goats descends on a neglected field, overgrown with invasive plants inflicting damage on native ecosystems. They eat the plants, fertilize the land, and move on. But for the farmers who rent out these herds of goats? The business model is...

modernfarmer.com

the main thing about keeping yourself from breaking out in rashes is to prevent or remove the oils from the plants sitting on your skin for any significant length of time and making sure everything gets washed well enough that it won't cause a rash later if you put on the same shirt or whatever.

 

[baymule]

English ivy is extremely toxic to sheep and goats. I’m as organic as I can be but this calls for the chemicals like @seedcorn advised. Look into Grazon, it kills broadleaf plants. I’m also extremely allergic to poison ivy, poison oak, Virginia creeper, nightshade and all those types. I understand where you are coming from. Save yourself a LOT of work that will only drag it out, plus one speck of root-and it all comes roaring back.
You don’t really want to kill sheep and goats with English ivy do you?
@seedcorn what type chemical do you advise?

Sorry to break the bad news, but to get rid of this stuff you are going to have to get serious about it. Clear it all out, then probably spot spray from then on to kill off any re-sprouts.

 

[taters-Monica]

Ok. Thanks i think i got some good information. I will get DH to spray the poison ivy for a couple of weeks in a row and get rid of it as much as i can--he is not at all affected by it. In fact i could just about swear he could put it on a salad and be just fine. When the poison ivy is gone, i should be able to clear out the english ivy, at least where the pasture is going to be. I am thinking about an epipen, for this time period, I think it may become that extreme,

**Never, ever give an ivy plant to someone you want to keep as a friend.
HHHMMm did i say 'take care of' . . . yes, i suppose i did hehe. I meant snuggle, and cuddle, especially when they are little and just learning to chew cud and take a nap on your lap. I suppose if they can wash a baby duck in an oil slick with dishsoap, i can probably use it on a goat.

 

[seedcorn]

Any broadleaf poison should work. My go to chem is CrossBow (or generic CrossRoads).
Spray once, give chem time to work-at least a week. Under cool or hot, dry conditions, chems may not work. Weeds need to be actively growing. Chem that kills poison ivy will also kill the ivy.

 

[Grandmas Garden]

Welcome to the Garden!