I just found out that my grandma has an overabundance of canned pears (from her own pear trees) from this past summer. I've looked all over the 'net but haven't found any reference to whether or not pears are safe for goats to eat - are they? :) I'm presuming if they are safe, moderation would be the key, ie, as a treat :)

Thanks in advance!

-- Jenny O'Connor (jenny@o-connor.net), March 01, 2002

Answers

If you can eat it, a goat can eat it. :-)

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), March 01, 2002.

I fed pears one yr to our goats, had a bumper crop. They loved them and were fine. I'm not so sure Ross about if we can eat it they can. Tomaotes are bad and I can't recall what others. Not sure about potatoes, think I have awebsite with the info on it. I'll try to find it.

Found them. Hope this helps.

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/poison.html

http://vet.purdue.edu/depts/addl/toxic/bytox1.htm

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), March 02, 2002.

Jenny, My experience with goats is limited, but for many years we pastured sheep under mature pear trees without harm, except for a few old broken-mouthed ewes that became addicted and got skinny waiting for a ripe pear to drop rather than go out and graze. Apples are another matter; they will drop green and cause bloat.

Since you have a lot and they are already canned and presumably sweetened, consider making perry. That's cider made from pears and it's far superior to apple cider. But - warning; it IS alcoholic, and if this brings on a fire and brimstone deluge of biblical quotations (happening a lot lately), call Paul to your defence: "Take a little wine for thy stomach's sake." and hope to God that the King James Version is still valid.

-- Griff in OR (griff@hangnail.com), March 02, 2002.

I think it's the tomato and potato PLANTS that are toxic, not the produce. Both are in the nightshade family, aren't they?

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), March 02, 2002.

I am still looking for the information I saved on tomato plants and eating tomatoes. They are members of the nightshade family which is toxic to goats. I recall reading to not let goats eat the tomatoes and was relieved that our garden had a pretty picket fence around it on our new farm. I had tons of tomato plants. I did note that my goats won't eat tomatoes. They just sniff and walk away. I'll try to find it today since its a snowy/icy day and can't do much. Well, could clean and scrub house but whats the point with everyone tracking in? LOL:):)

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), March 02, 2002.

Are you saying you want to feed your grandmother's home canned pears to your goat? Um, won't your grandmother be mad? :)

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), March 02, 2002.