COMMON TOXIC PLANTS TO WATCH FOR WITH STOCK
As the colder weather has started the growth rate of the grass, as most people would realize has slowed dramatically. Great for mowing not so great if you have stock.
If you have paddocks that are going into winter with little standing feed on them then you are in for a bad time. The worst time for stock is actually spring, just before the heat and rain can give the pasture a good growth spurt, and if the stock are starved of green pick they will clean it up as fast as it tries to recover.
If you have paddocks that are going into winter with little standing feed on them then you are in for a bad time. The worst time for stock is actually spring, just before the heat and rain can give the pasture a good growth spurt, and if the stock are starved of green pick they will clean it up as fast as it tries to recover.
You then have a vicious cycle of the paddocks taking even longer to recover. The weeds start taking over so the pasture quality is even greater depleted as the grass competes with the stock and the weeds!
If this is looking like your scenario then start stocking up on feed for winter now before the price rises and think about the possibility of destocking for the next few months.
The other problem that we see over this period is stock looking for green pick and if they can’t get it off the ground then they start on anything green which brings us to the toxic plants in this area.. Most stock are susceptible but cattle are the most prone to toxic plants. They have a rumen, their first stomach of 4! This is basically a large fermenting bag that takes up most of the left hand side of their abdomen. It is wonderful for breaking down plant material which is then burped up and chewed as cud before being swallowed a second time and digested through the next 3 stomachs.
The fermentation is brilliant for releasing all the goodness from plant material but this also means that it is great for releasing the toxins in some plants and as it stays in the rumen for a time the animal then starts to absorb the toxins. This is why cattle are so much more susceptible to toxic plants, although other animals can also be affected, as people who find their horses get diarrhoea at certain times of the year will testify.
There is a family of plants in the area called “solanums” and these include wild tobacco, devils apple and a few others. These will cause a diarrhoea in horses, camels and cattle, but if cattle get enough or graze it over a period of time it will kill them.
The two MOST common toxic plants are Lantana and Bracken Fern in cattle.
The Lantana that causes problems in this district is the red flowering bush. It is smaller and more prostrate then the larger rambling pink flowerer and often hides under the pink bush. The toxin attacks the liver and in turn the animal gets a photosensitization. If enough toxin is absorbed the liver will cease to function and the animal will die. Animals often present ill and jaundiced, and once the photosensitization occurs any white areas on the animal will lift peel and slough off. If a vet is called early then the animal can be drenched with charcoal to absorb the toxins in the rumen.
Once the white areas of skin start to slough (see photo) then it is usually too late to drench them unless they are continuing to eat the lantana. The most effective way to control this is GET RID of the lantana!
Bracken Fern is much nastier and there is NO TREATMENT. The toxin attacks the bone marrow and the animal becomes anemic and dies very rapidly.
As with all plant toxins the best and safest way to deal with them is GET RID OF THE PLANT.
For more information on other toxic plants in your area contact your local vet.
If this is looking like your scenario then start stocking up on feed for winter now before the price rises and think about the possibility of destocking for the next few months.
The other problem that we see over this period is stock looking for green pick and if they can’t get it off the ground then they start on anything green which brings us to the toxic plants in this area.. Most stock are susceptible but cattle are the most prone to toxic plants. They have a rumen, their first stomach of 4! This is basically a large fermenting bag that takes up most of the left hand side of their abdomen. It is wonderful for breaking down plant material which is then burped up and chewed as cud before being swallowed a second time and digested through the next 3 stomachs.
The fermentation is brilliant for releasing all the goodness from plant material but this also means that it is great for releasing the toxins in some plants and as it stays in the rumen for a time the animal then starts to absorb the toxins. This is why cattle are so much more susceptible to toxic plants, although other animals can also be affected, as people who find their horses get diarrhoea at certain times of the year will testify.
There is a family of plants in the area called “solanums” and these include wild tobacco, devils apple and a few others. These will cause a diarrhoea in horses, camels and cattle, but if cattle get enough or graze it over a period of time it will kill them.
The two MOST common toxic plants are Lantana and Bracken Fern in cattle.The Lantana that causes problems in this district is the red flowering bush. It is smaller and more prostrate then the larger rambling pink flowerer and often hides under the pink bush. The toxin attacks the liver and in turn the animal gets a photosensitization. If enough toxin is absorbed the liver will cease to function and the animal will die. Animals often present ill and jaundiced, and once the photosensitization occurs any white areas on the animal will lift peel and slough off. If a vet is called early then the animal can be drenched with charcoal to absorb the toxins in the rumen.
Once the white areas of skin start to slough (see photo) then it is usually too late to drench them unless they are continuing to eat the lantana. The most effective way to control this is GET RID of the lantana!
Bracken Fern is much nastier and there is NO TREATMENT. The toxin attacks the bone marrow and the animal becomes anemic and dies very rapidly.
As with all plant toxins the best and safest way to deal with them is GET RID OF THE PLANT.
For more information on other toxic plants in your area contact your local vet.
Cheers from
All at Dayboro Vets.
