Yew

[monica a waltho]

Just had some bad news off a couple who bought some youngstock off me last year 9 dexters and couple AAx apparently they got into ungrazed field that he owns wasnt to worried but fetched them out fairly quickly so hadnt been in long 3 died shortly after then another 6 died by 9pm same day. Pm revealed Yew he didnt know he had got. Two AA seem ok . Very devastating for him he said he felt helpless. I knew Yew can be deadly but you would have thought they would have grazed the grass instead but obviously preferred the yew. Apparantely dont need alot and is more toxic end of season.Wondering if AAx didnt eat any or bigger so less effect or dexters more susceptible. Not alot can be done once they have eaten. to lose one is bad enough but to lose that amount must be dreadful.
Lost odd sheep to acorns and a pony once that was bad enough feel very sorry for them both and just a warning to anyone taking on
to check for Yew

[Duncan MacIntyre]

I lost one heifer a month off first calving from yew. More or less all the herd were grazing a field in front of a large country house with ornamental trees round the edge of the field but outside an iron railing. There was a yew tree with ivy growing up it, not very usual I don't think. The weight of the ivy brought down a branch of yew which fell across the fence. All the cattle were round it eating what they could reach. One heifer was lying dead. The others paradoxically were saved by the quantity of ivy around the yew, which was what had caused the branch to fall in the first place. Even more frustrating was the fact that two farmers were at the time it fell dismantling an old fire escape on the big house, saw it fall, and never thought anything about it!

The heifer that died was the only daughter I had from Croitachoinie Bruin before I sold him. I bought Saltaire Drill as a yearling heifer at Stoneleigh in 2000 just because she was a granddaughter of Bruin.

So sad t hear the news, not easy to recover from a blow like that.

Duncan

[monica a waltho]

it seems it was a small self set tree they think caused the damage as they were unaware they had any yew. Think it was the speed of it and the fact doesnt take much.

[Duncan MacIntyre]

Yew is one of the most deadly poisonous plants we have. Even sawdust from yew wood is said to be poisonous. I was reading your post again Monica, notice you say that the poor people did not know they had yew - could it be one of those tragic cases where someone dumps hedge trimmings in a field? Or did they find a yew tree? If it was dumped may be worth investigating even if all that can be done is to warn people not to do it again. Even ordinary grass cuttings from a lawn can cause serious damage if dumped in a horse's field.

Duncan

[monica a waltho]

They found a small self set tree. But is a worry that people will dump things in your field especially if next to houses which we have had from time to time.