ARE THE CHERRY TREES IN A PASTURE A DANGER TO COWS

-- Don Amon (peacelane@certainty.net), September 29, 2001

Answers

Yes, the wilted leaves of cherry contain prussic acid which can harm or kill livestock if eaten.

-- Susan (smtroxel@socket.net), September 29, 2001.

Wilted leaves from cherry trees could make the cows sick, but understand that the leaves must be wilted. If they are eating leaves fresh off the tree, no problem. But if a large branch happens to break off and the leaves wilt, there could be problems. I wouldn't worry too much about it though. Just check on the trees every once in a while and especially after storms.

-- Michael W. Smith in North-West Pennsylvania (kirklbb@penn.com), September 30, 2001.

I personally knew a farmer who lost two steers who ate the wilted leaves off a branch of a cherry tree that was too near the fence of his pasture. We purchased calves from him, and he warned us of this. Mary

-- Mary Fraley (kmfraley@orwell.net), September 30, 2001.

A friend of mine lost her horse a couple of years ago after he ate leaves from cherry trees they had cut down the day before.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), September 30, 2001.

Cherry trees contain arsenic. They are extremely poisonous to all livestock and humans. The ONLY safe part is the fruit.

-- Patricia Ramsey (WOOLSPIN@AOL.COM), October 01, 2001.

Thanks for the response from all. Will the leaves coming down in the fall be considered dangerous

-- Don Amon (peacelane@certainty.net), October 01, 2001.

No, the leaves that come off in the fall are safe, if they came off on their own, not torn off by the wind before they were dried out and fall-colored already.

It is usually best to cut down all cherry trees within reach of large animal pasturage, storms and wind are unpredictable that cause the wilted leaf droppage, and the loss of your animals easily avoidable if you remove the trees.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), October 03, 2001.