Plants that Poison Plants that Poison LivestockLivestock

Nola Wilson, Small Farm Extension AgentNola Wilson, Small Farm Extension Agent

Marion County Extension ServiceMarion County Extension Service

Why livestock may eat Why livestock may eat poisonous plantspoisonous plants

StarvationStarvation

Deficient rationsDeficient rations

OvergrazingOvergrazing

Waste and trashWaste and trash

Hay infestationHay infestation

Newly plowed Newly plowed areasareas

Dry/partially dry Dry/partially dry water holeswater holes

Incidental/curiosityIncidental/curiosity

unknownunknown

Protecting your Protecting your animals animals

from poisoningfrom poisoning Learn to identify poisonous plantsLearn to identify poisonous plants Develop a grazing plan to Develop a grazing plan to

improve your pasturesimprove your pastures Do not overgrazeDo not overgraze Provide adequate water Provide adequate water Be careful when grazing newly Be careful when grazing newly

introduced livestock from another introduced livestock from another statestate

Cont’Cont’

Provide adequate salt and other Provide adequate salt and other supplements as neededsupplements as needed

Control poisonous plantsControl poisonous plants do not allow hungry animals to do not allow hungry animals to

graze in areas that may have graze in areas that may have poisonous plantspoisonous plants

Inspect hay for toxic plantsInspect hay for toxic plants Maintain fence rowsMaintain fence rows

Poisonous plantsPoisonous plants

AzaleasAzaleas BoxwoodBoxwood bagpodbagpod BitterweedBitterweed Bracken FernBracken Fern ButtercupButtercup ChinaberryChinaberry

Coffee senna and Coffee senna and sicklepodsicklepod

Common oleanderCommon oleander Castor-beanCastor-bean Common Common

nightshadenightshade Carolina laurel-Carolina laurel-

cherry/black cherry/black cherry/choke cherrycherry/choke cherry

Poisonous plants cont’Poisonous plants cont’

CockleburCocklebur Carolina-jessamineCarolina-jessamine Common lantanaCommon lantana Horse nettle Horse nettle Hairy vetchHairy vetch Johnson grassJohnson grass JimsonweedJimsonweed MustardMustard

LambsquarterLambsquarter Pokeweed,pokeberrPokeweed,pokeberr

yy Purple rattleboxPurple rattlebox Showy crotalariaShowy crotalaria White snakerootWhite snakeroot Water hemlock, Water hemlock,

poison hemlockpoison hemlock

Cont’Cont’

PigweedPigweed Mexican poppyMexican poppy MilkweedMilkweed St. John’s WortSt. John’s Wort

Principle toxic Principle toxic compoundscompounds

Cyanide or Cyanide or prussic acidprussic acid

Neuro toxic or Neuro toxic or myotoxic plantsmyotoxic plants

Gastrointenstinal Gastrointenstinal irritants & toxinsirritants & toxins

Photosensitizing Photosensitizing plantsplants

Nitrate-Nitrate-accumulating accumulating plantsplants

Oxalate-Oxalate-containing plantscontaining plants

Cardia glycoside Cardia glycoside containing plantscontaining plants

AzaleaAzalea

Effects: cattle, goats, Effects: cattle, goats,

sheep, llamassheep, llamas Toxicity: leaves and Toxicity: leaves and

flower nectarflower nectar Symptoms: Ruminants Symptoms: Ruminants

bloatbloat

BoxwoodBoxwood

Effects: horses & Effects: horses & pigspigs

Toxicity: all partsToxicity: all parts Symptoms: Symptoms:

emetic & emetic & purgative actionpurgative action

Bagpod/bladderpodBagpod/bladderpod

Effects: chickens, hogs, goats, Effects: chickens, hogs, goats, sheep & cattlesheep & cattle

Toxicity: young green seeds are Toxicity: young green seeds are more toxic than mature seedsmore toxic than mature seeds

Symptoms: comb dark and Symptoms: comb dark and congested, constipation in cattle, congested, constipation in cattle, sheep rapid respirationsheep rapid respiration

Bitterweed/bitter Bitterweed/bitter sneezeweedsneezeweed

Effects: horses, mules, cattle, Effects: horses, mules, cattle, sheepsheep

Toxicity: all parts, retains toxicity Toxicity: all parts, retains toxicity after dryingafter drying

Symptoms: weakness, bloating, Symptoms: weakness, bloating, staggering, spasms, irritant to staggering, spasms, irritant to mucous membranesmucous membranes

Bracken FernBracken Fern

Effects: cattle, horses, sheep & Effects: cattle, horses, sheep & chickenschickens

Toxicity: fronds & rhizomesToxicity: fronds & rhizomes Symptoms: high temp. stand with Symptoms: high temp. stand with

head down and drool, unsteady head down and drool, unsteady gait, drowsy, sheep have shown gait, drowsy, sheep have shown blindnessblindness

Causes thiamin deficiencyCauses thiamin deficiency

ButtercupButtercup

Effects: Cattle and horses, pigsEffects: Cattle and horses, pigs Toxicity: stems and leaves of the Toxicity: stems and leaves of the

flowering plant flowering plant Symptoms: Gastrointestinal Symptoms: Gastrointestinal

effectseffects

ChinaberryChinaberry

Effects: hogs & sheepEffects: hogs & sheep Toxicity: all parts; berries most Toxicity: all parts; berries most

toxictoxic Symptoms: loss of appetite, Symptoms: loss of appetite,

stiffness, general weakness, stiffness, general weakness, death w/in 24hrsdeath w/in 24hrs

2000 Copyright Texas A&M University System

CrotalariaCrotalaria

Effects: all livestock including Effects: all livestock including chickens, quails and turkeyschickens, quails and turkeys

Toxicity: all parts; especially Toxicity: all parts; especially seedsseeds

Symptoms: uncoordinated, head Symptoms: uncoordinated, head press against objects, bloody press against objects, bloody feces, pale comb, ruffled feathersfeces, pale comb, ruffled feathers

SeedlingSeedling

FlowerFlowerFruitFruit

Coffee senna & sickle Coffee senna & sickle podpod Effects: all livestock, primarily Effects: all livestock, primarily

cattlecattle Toxicity: seeds predominantly, Toxicity: seeds predominantly,

leaves, stemsleaves, stems Symptoms: diarrhea, lethargic, go Symptoms: diarrhea, lethargic, go

off feedoff feed

Common oleanderCommon oleander

Effects: livestock Effects: livestock & humans& humans

Toxicity: all Toxicity: all parts;15-20 grams parts;15-20 grams will kill mature will kill mature cattle or horsecattle or horse

Symptoms: weak, Symptoms: weak, rapid pulse, rapid pulse, profuse sweatingprofuse sweating

Castor-beanCastor-bean

Effects: all Effects: all livestock, mostly livestock, mostly horseshorses

Toxicity: all parts; Toxicity: all parts; especially the especially the beansbeans

Symptoms: pigs Symptoms: pigs nausea, violent nausea, violent purgation, horses purgation, horses trembling, trembling, sweatingsweating

Common nightshadeCommon nightshade

Effects: livestock & chickensEffects: livestock & chickens Toxicity: leaves & immature Toxicity: leaves & immature

berriesberries Symptoms: weakness, dilated Symptoms: weakness, dilated

pupils, paralysis, gastrointestinal pupils, paralysis, gastrointestinal problemsproblems

Choke Cherry Choke Cherry tree/Carolina laurel-tree/Carolina laurel-cherry/black cherrycherry/black cherry Effects: sheep, goats, cattle and Effects: sheep, goats, cattle and

especially horsesespecially horses Toxicity: leaves, esp. wiltedToxicity: leaves, esp. wilted Symptoms: anxiety, staggering, Symptoms: anxiety, staggering,

breathing problems, bloat, limit breathing problems, bloat, limit oxygen, deathoxygen, death

Carolina Carolina laurel-cherrylaurel-cherry

Black cherryBlack cherry

CockleburCocklebur

Effects: swine most common, Effects: swine most common, cattle, sheep, and poultrycattle, sheep, and poultry

Toxicity: seeds and seedlings Toxicity: seeds and seedlings most toxicmost toxic

Symptoms: gastrointestinal Symptoms: gastrointestinal irritation, weakness, deathirritation, weakness, death

Common cockleburCommon cocklebur

FruitFruit

Mature PlantMature Plant

Carolina/yellow-Carolina/yellow-jessaminejessamine

Effects: cattle, sheep, goats, Effects: cattle, sheep, goats, swine and horsesswine and horses

Toxicity: flowers, roots & leavesToxicity: flowers, roots & leaves Symptoms: muscular weakness, Symptoms: muscular weakness,

“goes down”, coma“goes down”, coma

LantanaLantana

Effects: sheep, Effects: sheep, horses, mostly horses, mostly cattlecattle

Toxicity: all Toxicity: all parts; year round parts; year round

Symptoms: Symptoms: photosensitizatiophotosensitization, watery feces n, watery feces

Hairy VetchHairy Vetch

Effects: horses and cattleEffects: horses and cattle Toxicity: seed most toxicToxicity: seed most toxic Symptoms: bellowing, sexual Symptoms: bellowing, sexual

excitement, crawling on ground, excitement, crawling on ground, photosensitizationphotosensitization

Hairy vetchHairy vetch

SeedlingSeedlingFlowerFlower

Johnson grassJohnson grass

Effects: cattle and horsesEffects: cattle and horses Toxicity: leaves & stems esp. young Toxicity: leaves & stems esp. young

plantsplants Symptoms: breathing problems, Symptoms: breathing problems,

staggering, convulsions staggering, convulsions

JohnsongrassJohnsongrass

Seed headSeed head

RhizomeRhizomeMature PlantMature Plant

JimsonweedJimsonweed

Effects: predominantly cattle; Effects: predominantly cattle; occasionally horses, goats & hogsoccasionally horses, goats & hogs

Toxicity: all parts green or dry ( cows Toxicity: all parts green or dry ( cows poisoned by consuming 10-14 oz)poisoned by consuming 10-14 oz)

Symptoms: dryness of mouth, rapid Symptoms: dryness of mouth, rapid pulse, partial blindness, tremors in pulse, partial blindness, tremors in goat & sheepgoat & sheep

(convulsion twitching of the entire body (convulsion twitching of the entire body is a symptom in hogs)is a symptom in hogs)

SeedlingSeedlingFruitFruit

FlowerFlower

MustardMustard

Effects: swine, Effects: swine,

cattle and horsescattle and horses Toxicity: all partsToxicity: all parts

especially the seedsespecially the seeds Symptoms:Symptoms:

severe gastroenteritis, abdominal pain severe gastroenteritis, abdominal pain and diarrheaand diarrhea

Lamb’s Quarters/ Lamb’s Quarters/ PigweedPigweed

Effects: ruminantsEffects: ruminants Toxicity: all partsToxicity: all parts Symptoms: reduce oxygen carrying Symptoms: reduce oxygen carrying

capacity, in-coordination, weakness, capacity, in-coordination, weakness,

Pokeweed/pokeberryPokeweed/pokeberry

Effects: cattle, sheep, horses, Effects: cattle, sheep, horses, hogs, poultryhogs, poultry

Toxicity: all parts; esp. berries & Toxicity: all parts; esp. berries & rootsroots

Symptoms: gastric intestinal Symptoms: gastric intestinal irritation, spasms, colic, pigs irritation, spasms, colic, pigs unsteadiness, jerking movementsunsteadiness, jerking movements

Purple rattleboxPurple rattlebox

Effects: poultry, cattle, sheep and Effects: poultry, cattle, sheep and goatsgoats

Toxicity: primarily seedToxicity: primarily seed Symptoms: rapid pulse, respiration Symptoms: rapid pulse, respiration

weak, irregular and laboredweak, irregular and labored

chickens: ruffled feathers, drooping chickens: ruffled feathers, drooping wingswings

Copyright @1997Alice B. Russell,Copyright @1997Alice B. Russell,

MilkweedsMilkweeds

Effects: cattle, sheep, goats, Effects: cattle, sheep, goats, horses and poultryhorses and poultry

Toxicity: stems, leaves, rootsToxicity: stems, leaves, roots Symptoms: gastrointestinal Symptoms: gastrointestinal

irritation, in coordination, irritation, in coordination, tremors, dilated pupils, tremors, dilated pupils, bloating/colicbloating/colic

Hemp SesbaniaHemp Sesbania

Effects: Effects: cattlecattle Toxicity: seeds most toxicToxicity: seeds most toxic Symptoms: often found dead, Symptoms: often found dead,

constipation, animals walk stiffly constipation, animals walk stiffly with arched backwith arched back

Hemp SesbaniaHemp Sesbania

MimosaMimosa partridge partridge peapea

White snakerootWhite snakeroot

Effects: cattle, horses & sheepEffects: cattle, horses & sheep Toxicity: all part green or dryToxicity: all part green or dry Symptoms: muscle trembles Symptoms: muscle trembles

following exercise, weight lossfollowing exercise, weight loss

horses heart failure, legs stand horses heart failure, legs stand far apartfar apart

Water hemlockWater hemlock

Effects: cattle primary species Effects: cattle primary species (cowbane) horses, sheep(cowbane) horses, sheep

Toxicity: all parts, primarily rootsToxicity: all parts, primarily roots Symptoms: convulsions, Symptoms: convulsions,

trembling, frothing at mouthtrembling, frothing at mouth

Note: this plant considered to be Note: this plant considered to be the most toxic, the most toxic,

Poison hemlockPoison hemlock

Effects: livestock including poultryEffects: livestock including poultry Toxicity: whole green plant at Toxicity: whole green plant at

approx 1% of b.w.approx 1% of b.w. Symptoms: gastrointestinal Symptoms: gastrointestinal

irritation, trembles, coldness of irritation, trembles, coldness of extremitiesextremities

Poison hemlock can also cause birth defects in ruminants and swine, with cattle and swine more susceptible than sheep and goats. The most often reported birth defects are cleft palate and spinal abnormalities. The gestational ages that have been associated with birth defects are: for goats, days 30 through 60; for cattle, days 40 through 70; for pigs, days 30 through 60. The birth defects resemble those seen with lupine, with lupine being the more dangerous plant.

Mexican PoppyMexican Poppy

Effects: livestock Effects: livestock

and poultryand poultry Toxicity: all parts Toxicity: all parts

and seedsand seeds Symptoms: edema (dropsy),Symptoms: edema (dropsy),

swelling of wattles and darkening swelling of wattles and darkening of tips in comb, weakness, deathof tips in comb, weakness, death

St. John’s wortSt. John’s wort

Effects: cattle, sheep & horsesEffects: cattle, sheep & horses Toxicity: fresh and dried plantToxicity: fresh and dried plant Symptoms: itching, Symptoms: itching,

photosensitization symptomsphotosensitization symptoms

References:References:

West E. & Emmel M.W. Plants West E. & Emmel M.W. Plants that poison farm animals, that poison farm animals, University of FloridaUniversity of Florida

Perkins K & Payne W. Guide to Perkins K & Payne W. Guide to the poisonous and irritant plants the poisonous and irritant plants of Florida, University of Floridaof Florida, University of Florida

References cont’References cont’

Toxic plant database-Veterinarian Medicine Toxic plant database-Veterinarian Medicine LibraryLibrary

http://www.library.uiuc.edu/vex/toxic/comlist.hthttp://www.library.uiuc.edu/vex/toxic/comlist.htmm

Poisonous plants of the southern United States- Poisonous plants of the southern United States- http://www.caf.wvu.edu/%7Eforage/library/poisohttp://www.caf.wvu.edu/%7Eforage/library/poisonous/content.htmnous/content.htm

University of Pennsylvania poisonous plants University of Pennsylvania poisonous plants homepage- homepage- http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/poison/index.htmlhttp://cal.vet.upenn.edu/poison/index.html

Developed By: Nola Developed By: Nola Wilson, Small Farm Wilson, Small Farm Extension Agent Extension Agent August 2003August 2003Revised 2006Revised 2006

Thank YouThank You

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