Buttercups contain an acrid, volatile alkaloid-amenenol, strong enough to blister the skin and cause inflammation of the intestinal tract. Cattle and goats poisoned by buttercups produce bitter milk and a reddish color. The toxic material volatilizes and is lost when buttercups are dried as in hay.
Is buttercup poisonous to animals?
Thankfully, buttercup generally doesn't pose a serious threat because the toxin's bitter taste and ability to cause mouth blisters limits the amount an animal will eat. However, poisoning can occur in overgrazed pastures where there are little to no other plants for horses to consume.
What weeds are poisonous to goats?
Some of the common poisonous plants that might grow in your pasture or backyard include:
- Weeds. Bracken fern. Buttercup. Common milkweed. ...
- Trees. Cyanide-producing trees, such as cherry, chokecherry, elderberry, and plum (especially the wilted leaves from these trees) Ponderosa pine. Yew.
- Cultivated plants. Azalea. Kale.
