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Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) is safe for goats. If it grows in your pasture, your goats may browse it along with everything else, and that’s nothing to worry about.
Can goats eat motherwort?
Yes, goats can eat motherwort without problems. It’s a member of the mint family, and goats will nibble on it if they come across it while browsing.
Motherwort isn’t a preferred browse plant for most goats. They’ll eat it here and there but generally won’t gorge on it when other forage is available.
In normal pasture grazing situations, the amounts they consume aren’t harmful.
Goats are selective browsers by nature, which is why the idea that goats eat everything is really a myth. They instinctively rotate through different plants in a pasture rather than eating large amounts of any single species, which is part of why motherwort rarely causes issues.
What’s motherwort and what do they look like?
Motherwort is a perennial herb that grows 2 to 3 feet tall in temperate regions around the world. The name literally comes from its centuries-old use in herbal medicine for supporting mothers during childbirth.
You can identify it by its deeply lobed leaves with 3 to 5 pointed sections growing in opposite pairs along a square stem. That square stem is the giveaway that it belongs to the mint family.
Small pink to pale purple flowers appear in tight clusters at the leaf joints during mid to late summer.
What are the benefits of motherwort for goats?
Some herbalists and old-time goat keepers use motherwort as a uterine tonic for does around kidding time, often alongside supplemental alfalfa for extra calcium. The plant contains leonurine and stachydrine, two compounds that have been studied for their effects on uterine muscle.
Whether it actually helps goats during labor is debatable, and there’s limited veterinary research to back it up. What we do know is that the plant isn’t toxic in the amounts a goat would normally eat while browsing, and it adds variety to their forage.
What are the consequences of goats eating motherwort?
In normal browsing amounts, there are no negative consequences. Goats self-regulate their intake of most pasture plants and rarely eat enough motherwort to cause any issues.
Motherwort does contain small amounts of alkaloids, including leonurine and stachydrine. In very large quantities these could theoretically cause loose stools or mild digestive upset, but a goat would have to eat an unusual amount for that to happen.
The diuretic properties of motherwort are sometimes mentioned as a concern. In practice, goats that nibble on it while browsing don’t consume enough to notice any difference in their urination or hydration levels.
This is completely different from truly harmful plants like onions which can damage red blood cells even in moderate amounts.
How to identify motherwort in your pasture
Walk your pasture during the growing season and look for that distinctive square stem with deeply lobed leaves. You might find it growing near dandelions and honeysuckle, all of which are safe pasture plants.
The flowers bloom from June through August and are small, fuzzy, and pink to purple.
If you want to manage it, pull plants up by the roots because cutting them back just encourages regrowth. Most goat owners don’t bother removing it though, since the plant isn’t dangerous to their animals.
Final Thoughts
Motherwort ranks among the plants you don’t need to lose sleep over. It’s safe for goats in normal browsing amounts, and they’ll generally regulate their own intake without you having to do anything.
The original article on this topic had some conflicting information about motherwort being deadly to goats, and that’s simply not accurate for the amounts a goat encounters in a pasture. If you’re interested in using herbs for your goats, raspberry leaf for pregnant does and pine needles for vitamin C are more proven options.
But if motherwort is growing in your pasture, there’s no need to fence it off or pull it out on your goats’ account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, motherwort is safe for goats in normal browsing amounts. It's a member of the mint family, and goats will nibble on it if they come across it while browsing. It isn't a preferred browse plant, so goats won't typically gorge on it.
Motherwort is a perennial herb that can be found in temperate regions around the world. The plant gets its name from its traditional use in supporting women's health, particularly during pregnancy and childbirth.
Motherwort is an herb that has a long history of use in traditional medicine. The leaves and flowers of the plant are used to make teas, tinctures, and extracts that are thought to have various health benefits.
In normal browsing amounts, there are no negative consequences. Motherwort contains small amounts of alkaloids that could theoretically cause mild digestive upset in very large quantities, but goats self-regulate and rarely eat enough to cause issues.
