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Re: [nafex] honeylocust pods
At 11:14 AM 01/06/2001 -0600, Keith wrote:
Does anyone on this
list have any experiance regarding the utilization of whole honeylocust
pods by goats?
Keith,
There's a bit of information 'out there' on the use/utilization of
honeylocust as a potential food source for ruminants, with different
folks, from time to time, advocating planting Gleditsia as a 'forage'
source for farm animals. Several universities have studied
them for this purpose, in the past (seems like my alma mater, Auburn
University, did some work with them back in the 1940s.).
As has been discussed, cattle and deer(and I presume, goats, as well)
will consume the pods, and the seeds generally pass through the ruminant
digestive tract unharmed, germinating wherever they are deposited,
leading, eventually, to numerous punctured truck, tractor, and ATV
tires.
Even with the 'thornless' honeylocust selections, a certain percentage of
the seedlings will revert to the 'thorny' phenotype, and cattle usually
are reluctant to browse the thorny little buggers - goats probably will
relish them, though.
They're not for everyone, and they're certainly not for me.
Honeylocust is a member of my unholy trinity of most hated
trees.
Lucky Pittman
USDA Zone 6
Hopkinsville, KY
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