One of our new subscribers asked: just had a question about chopping buttercups in haylage and if they’re poisonous or if the fermentation process negates this. I have no idea. Any experience?
One of our new subscribers asked: just had a question about chopping buttercups in haylage and if they’re poisonous or if the fermentation process negates this. I have no idea. Any experience?
Joanne thought as long as you were chopping at 3-4″ inches the bulk of the plant would be left behind. In the pastures, cows eat around them.
I found this in WiKiPedia :: All Ranunculus species are poisonous when eaten fresh, but their acrid taste and the blistering of the mouth caused by their poison means they are usually left uneaten. Poisoning in livestock can occur where buttercups are abundant in overgrazed fields where little other edible plant growth is left, and the animals eat them out of desperation. Symptoms of poisoning include bloody diarrhea, excessive salivation, colic, and severe blistering of the mouth, mucous membranes and gastrointestinal tract. When Ranunculus plants are handled, naturally occurring ranunculin is broken down to form protoanemonin, which is known to cause contact dermatitis in humans and care should therefore be exercised in extensive handling of the plants.[9] The toxins are degraded by drying, so hay containing dried buttercups is safe
A decent resource for poisonous plants:
http://poisonousplants.ansci.cornell.edu/index.html
This is from the Cornell Database that Jim suggested:
Scientific Name Common Name(s) Species Most Often Affected Parts Poisonous Primary Poison(s)
Ranunculus spp. Buttercup, Crowfoot cattle, goats, horses all protoanemonin