30/09/2026
🌰🌳 Its Acorn Season!!! 🍁🌳
Autumn means fallen leaves, cooler days and lots of acorns but did you know that large quantities of acorns (particularly green acorns) can be harmful to animals including horses, cows, sheep and even dogs.
Acorns contain tannins which can cause digestive upset and, in significant exposure, lead to more serious problems including kidney and liver damage.
Signs to watch out for include:
○Loss of appetite
○Depression or lethargy
○Abdominal discomfort/colic
○Diarrhoea or constipation – can turn black/tar like.
○Increase in drinking/ urinating.
○Death in severe cases.
The signs usually occur 3-7 days after ingestion.
Prevention is key:
○ If your fields contain oak trees, keep an eye on areas where acorns are accumulating and consider fencing these areas off.
○ If there is a lack of forage, providing supplementary feed to prevent them feeling the need to eat them can help.
If you have any concerns about acorns/ toxicity then please call one of the team today for more advise.