Ivy

[Saffy]

I don't think it is bad for them as long as they don't eat too much, mine seem to like it more when they have been in at night in the winter. Some say they eat it when they are short of green stuff but mine weren't, others that it is a mineral shortage of some kind but I'm not convinced that it is either.

I do know some old stockmen used to gather it in winter for sheep.

I you Google - James Ravilious you should be able to find a pic he took of a someone gathering it for sheep.

Stephanie

[Duncan MacIntyre]

My old boss used to stuff ivy into the mouths of cows which would not eat, thought it was a tonic and got the apetite going.

Duncan

[Louisa Gidney]

It's the ivy berries that are poisonous, not the leaves. I used to gather loads for my sheep, when I only had a few & they loved it. I think the heifer at the time also ate it.