We're getting ready to move our pigs to a field that has several "osage orange" or hedge apple trees. Will these hedge apples hurt the pigs? If so, we'll have to change our fencing plans.

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), October 26, 2001

Answers

doubt they will evn try them, I dont know anything that eats osage oranges. Suppoosed to be the hardest wood in the USA and alot of BTU's the the "fruit" isnt good for anything that I know of

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), October 26, 2001.

Pigs are smarter than people. They won't eat many things that will hurt them. The hedge apples probably will not hurt them. Our cattle ate them all the time with no bad results except sometime difficulty in swallowing them.

-- Charlie (charliesap@pldi.net), October 26, 2001.

I had a massive 'bo-dock' tree on the back fence of the pig run at my last home. It reliably tried to brain me w/ 3 # & up fruit. But the pigs,[pets, vietnamese suburban throwaways] never seemed to eat them. Just roll them like toys. But then again they did not like raw carrots either...not your average hogs! I learn't me a fact the other day,hmm. The name 'bo dock 'for the osage orange came from us illiterate southerners slaughtering the french -bow de arc->sp? For the trees' wood is excellent in making strong, rot proof, yet flexable bows!

-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), October 26, 2001.

Heard that if you chunk them under the house that they deter pests. My hubby's grandpa used to do that all the time. We have done that and don't have much of a pest problem. Only an awnry neighbor or two. heehee!

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), October 26, 2001.

When I saw my first osage orange tree I asked the elderly neighbor what you did with them. She said, "Mostly, you pick them up." Can't see one now without thinking of her and that was almost 30 years ago.

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), October 26, 2001.

If you can't throw them under your house (due to the foundation) put two or three in each window well and scatter the others a foot or two apart around your foundation. They sell them @3 for $1 at the grocery store here when they can get them. Cattle and trees are generally incompatible, this is about the only tree that will grow in the pasture as cattle leave it alone due to the thorns.

-- fred (fred@mddc.com), October 26, 2001.

I've seen squirrels eat on them without any apparent ill effect. Mainly they seem to just sort of tear them apart bit by bit to get at the seeds.

-- Susan (smtroxel@socket.net), October 26, 2001.

Hedge Apples I believe the correct name is boid d'arc Trees. I understand that the indians used the wood to make bows . Has anyone else heard this ? Big George

-- George Wilson (cwwhtw@aol.com), October 26, 2001.

Yes, I heard about the Indians using them for bows and one of the terms was bodark. The french term "bois 'd arc" means "bow wood", the natural range for this tree is a relatively small area in Texas and Oklahoma, but it has now been naturalized to a much wider area.

-- fred (fred@mddc.com), October 26, 2001.

I remember having hogs and cattle both on pasture that was "fenced" with hedge trees. Neither seemed to have any ill effects. Never paid any attention to the hogs eating the apples. Yes, squirrels will eat them but don't harvest the squirrel to eat. They are very strong and inedible as we found out. Never had this problem with the hogs or calves. Dave

-- Dave (drcomer@rr1.net), October 26, 2001.

Thanks so much for the info, everyone. You folks are da best!

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), October 26, 2001.