What animals can eat hop vines safely?

Ingredients
1

My husband and I have a small “farmly”. We have a plethora of animals and plants. Our spent mash already goes to the chickens, turkeys and ducks. Knowing that hop vines and leaves are toxic to some animals makes us hesitant on using them as feed. Are hops toxic to goats or rabbits? Please keep in mind that our goat is for milk. As a grazer she will moderate how much she eats, so the bitterness caring over into the milk is not the main concern. The toxicity is our concern. The rabbits are for meat and fur. Rabbits make excellent composters for most weeds and garden debris. We would love to have them process the hop vines, after harvest, before the compost pile. Just wanted to make sure its safe for their digestive system.

A list of animals that can consume hops safely would be appreciated.
Thank you for your time.

2

I know that they used to use sheep to keep the lower leaves trimmed back over in the UK years ago and a friend made a trip down to NZ this Feb. to check out their organic practices. He mentioned that the kiwi’s did the same. I’d inquire with Oregon State or Washington State Agronomy departments to see if they’ve done any work in this area.

3

The only documented toxicity I know of with hops is with certain dogs eating spent hops. Some breeds can have an unusual reaction called malignant hyperthermia. Otherwise I have not found anything about the leaves or stems being toxic to herbivores. They seem a little too coarse and fibrous for chickens-my chickens just don’t eat them. Sounds like sheep or Goats would be the best bet, and I would just let them eat a small amount at first to see how they do.