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nafex - Re: [nafex] honeylocust pods

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  • From: Lucky Pittman <Lucky.Pittman@murraystate.edu>
  • To: nafex@egroups.com
  • Subject: Re: [nafex] honeylocust pods
  • Date: Mon, 08 Jan 2001 09:37:24 -0600

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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