Plants that Poison Livestock Nola Wilson, Small Farm Extension Agent Marion County Extension Service

Why livestock may eat poisonous plants Starvation Starvation Deficient rations Deficient rations Overgrazing Overgrazing Waste and trash Waste and trash Hay infestation Hay infestation Newly plowed areas Newly plowed areas Dry/partially dry water holes Dry/partially dry water holes Incidental/curiosity Incidental/curiosity unknown unknown

Protecting your animals from poisoning Learn to identify poisonous plants Learn to identify poisonous plants Develop a grazing plan to improve your pastures Develop a grazing plan to improve your pastures Do not overgraze Do not overgraze Provide adequate water Provide adequate water Be careful when grazing newly introduced livestock from another state Be careful when grazing newly introduced livestock from another state

Cont’ Provide adequate salt and other supplements as needed Provide adequate salt and other supplements as needed Control poisonous plants Control poisonous plants do not allow hungry animals to graze in areas that may have poisonous plants do not allow hungry animals to graze in areas that may have poisonous plants Inspect hay for toxic plants Inspect hay for toxic plants Maintain fence rows Maintain fence rows

Poisonous plants Azaleas Azaleas Boxwood Boxwood bagpod bagpod Bitterweed Bitterweed Bracken Fern Bracken Fern Buttercup Buttercup Chinaberry Chinaberry Coffee senna and sicklepod Coffee senna and sicklepod Common oleander Common oleander Castor-bean Castor-bean Common nightshade Common nightshade Carolina laurel- cherry/black cherry/choke cherry Carolina laurel- cherry/black cherry/choke cherry

Poisonous plants cont’ Cocklebur Cocklebur Carolina-jessamine Carolina-jessamine Common lantana Common lantana Horse nettle Horse nettle Hairy vetch Hairy vetch Johnson grass Johnson grass Jimsonweed Jimsonweed Mustard Mustard Lambsquarter Lambsquarter Pokeweed,pokeberry Pokeweed,pokeberry Purple rattlebox Purple rattlebox Showy crotalaria Showy crotalaria White snakeroot White snakeroot Water hemlock, poison hemlock Water hemlock, poison hemlock

Cont’ Pigweed Pigweed Mexican poppy Mexican poppy Milkweed Milkweed St. John’s Wort St. John’s Wort

Principle toxic compounds Cyanide or prussic acid Cyanide or prussic acid Neuro toxic or myotoxic plants Neuro toxic or myotoxic plants Gastrointenstinal irritants & toxins Gastrointenstinal irritants & toxins Photosensitizing plants Photosensitizing plants Nitrate- accumulating plants Nitrate- accumulating plants Oxalate-containing plants Oxalate-containing plants Cardia glycoside containing plants Cardia glycoside containing plants

Azalea Effects: cattle, goats, Effects: cattle, goats, sheep, llamas Toxicity: leaves and Toxicity: leaves and flower nectar Symptoms: Ruminants Symptoms: Ruminantsbloat

Boxwood Effects: horses & pigs Effects: horses & pigs Toxicity: all parts Toxicity: all parts Symptoms: emetic & purgative action Symptoms: emetic & purgative action

Bagpod/bladderpod Effects: chickens, hogs, goats, sheep & cattle Effects: chickens, hogs, goats, sheep & cattle Toxicity: young green seeds are more toxic than mature seeds Toxicity: young green seeds are more toxic than mature seeds Symptoms: comb dark and congested, constipation in cattle, sheep rapid respiration Symptoms: comb dark and congested, constipation in cattle, sheep rapid respiration

Bitterweed/bitter sneezeweed Effects: horses, mules, cattle, sheep Effects: horses, mules, cattle, sheep Toxicity: all parts, retains toxicity after drying Toxicity: all parts, retains toxicity after drying Symptoms: weakness, bloating, staggering, spasms, irritant to mucous membranes Symptoms: weakness, bloating, staggering, spasms, irritant to mucous membranes

Bracken Fern Effects: cattle, horses, sheep & chickens Effects: cattle, horses, sheep & chickens Toxicity: fronds & rhizomes Toxicity: fronds & rhizomes Symptoms: high temp. stand with head down and drool, unsteady gait, drowsy, sheep have shown blindness Symptoms: high temp. stand with head down and drool, unsteady gait, drowsy, sheep have shown blindness Causes thiamin deficiency Causes thiamin deficiency

Buttercup Effects: Cattle and horses, pigs Effects: Cattle and horses, pigs Toxicity: stems and leaves of the flowering plant Toxicity: stems and leaves of the flowering plant Symptoms: Gastrointestinal effects Symptoms: Gastrointestinal effects

Chinaberry Effects: hogs & sheep Effects: hogs & sheep Toxicity: all parts; berries most toxic Toxicity: all parts; berries most toxic Symptoms: loss of appetite, stiffness, general weakness, death w/in 24hrs Symptoms: loss of appetite, stiffness, general weakness, death w/in 24hrs

2000 Copyright Texas A&M University System

Crotalaria Effects: all livestock including chickens, quails and turkeys Effects: all livestock including chickens, quails and turkeys Toxicity: all parts; especially seeds Toxicity: all parts; especially seeds Symptoms: uncoordinated, head press against objects, bloody feces, pale comb, ruffled feathers Symptoms: uncoordinated, head press against objects, bloody feces, pale comb, ruffled feathers

Seedling Flower Fruit

Coffee senna & sickle pod Effects: all livestock, primarily cattle Effects: all livestock, primarily cattle Toxicity: seeds predominantly, leaves, stems Toxicity: seeds predominantly, leaves, stems Symptoms: diarrhea, lethargic, go off feed Symptoms: diarrhea, lethargic, go off feed

Common oleander Effects: livestock & humans Effects: livestock & humans Toxicity: all parts;15-20 grams will kill mature cattle or horse Toxicity: all parts;15-20 grams will kill mature cattle or horse Symptoms: weak, rapid pulse, profuse sweating Symptoms: weak, rapid pulse, profuse sweating

Castor-bean Effects: all livestock, mostly horses Effects: all livestock, mostly horses Toxicity: all parts; especially the beans Toxicity: all parts; especially the beans Symptoms: pigs nausea, violent purgation, horses trembling, sweating Symptoms: pigs nausea, violent purgation, horses trembling, sweating

Common nightshade Effects: livestock & chickens Effects: livestock & chickens Toxicity: leaves & immature berries Toxicity: leaves & immature berries Symptoms: weakness, dilated pupils, paralysis, gastrointestinal problems Symptoms: weakness, dilated pupils, paralysis, gastrointestinal problems

Choke Cherry tree/Carolina laurel-cherry/black cherry Effects: sheep, goats, cattle and especially horses Effects: sheep, goats, cattle and especially horses Toxicity: leaves, esp. wilted Toxicity: leaves, esp. wilted Symptoms: anxiety, staggering, breathing problems, bloat, limit oxygen, death Symptoms: anxiety, staggering, breathing problems, bloat, limit oxygen, death

Carolina laurel-cherry Carolina laurel-cherry Black cherry Black cherry

Cocklebur Effects: swine most common, cattle, sheep, and poultry Effects: swine most common, cattle, sheep, and poultry Toxicity: seeds and seedlings most toxic Toxicity: seeds and seedlings most toxic Symptoms: gastrointestinal irritation, weakness, death Symptoms: gastrointestinal irritation, weakness, death

Common cocklebur Fruit Mature Plant

Carolina/yellow- jessamine Effects: cattle, sheep, goats, swine and horses Effects: cattle, sheep, goats, swine and horses Toxicity: flowers, roots & leaves Toxicity: flowers, roots & leaves Symptoms: muscular weakness, “goes down”, coma Symptoms: muscular weakness, “goes down”, coma

Lantana Effects: sheep, horses, mostly cattle Effects: sheep, horses, mostly cattle Toxicity: all parts; year round Toxicity: all parts; year round Symptoms: photosensitization, watery feces Symptoms: photosensitization, watery feces

Hairy Vetch Effects: horses and cattle Effects: horses and cattle Toxicity: seed most toxic Toxicity: seed most toxic Symptoms: bellowing, sexual excitement, crawling on ground, photosensitization Symptoms: bellowing, sexual excitement, crawling on ground, photosensitization

Hairy vetch Seedling Flower

Johnson grass Effects: cattle and horses Effects: cattle and horses Toxicity: leaves & stems esp. young plants Toxicity: leaves & stems esp. young plants Symptoms: breathing problems, staggering, convulsions Symptoms: breathing problems, staggering, convulsions

Johnsongrass Seed head Rhizome Mature Plant

Jimsonweed Effects: predominantly cattle; occasionally horses, goats & hogs Effects: predominantly cattle; occasionally horses, goats & hogs Toxicity: all parts green or dry ( cows poisoned by consuming oz) Toxicity: all parts green or dry ( cows poisoned by consuming oz) Symptoms: dryness of mouth, rapid pulse, partial blindness, tremors in goat & sheep Symptoms: dryness of mouth, rapid pulse, partial blindness, tremors in goat & sheep (convulsion twitching of the entire body is a symptom in hogs)

Seedling Fruit Flower

Mustard Effects: swine, Effects: swine, cattle and horses Toxicity: all parts Toxicity: all parts especially the seeds Symptoms: Symptoms: severe gastroenteritis, abdominal pain and diarrhea severe gastroenteritis, abdominal pain and diarrhea

Lamb’s Quarters/ Pigweed Effects: ruminants Effects: ruminants Toxicity: all parts Toxicity: all parts Symptoms: reduce oxygen carrying capacity, in-coordination, weakness, Symptoms: reduce oxygen carrying capacity, in-coordination, weakness,

Pokeweed/pokeberry Effects: cattle, sheep, horses, hogs, poultry Effects: cattle, sheep, horses, hogs, poultry Toxicity: all parts; esp. berries & roots Toxicity: all parts; esp. berries & roots Symptoms: gastric intestinal irritation, spasms, colic, pigs unsteadiness, jerking movements Symptoms: gastric intestinal irritation, spasms, colic, pigs unsteadiness, jerking movements

Purple rattlebox Effects: poultry, cattle, sheep and goats Effects: poultry, cattle, sheep and goats Toxicity: primarily seed Toxicity: primarily seed Symptoms: rapid pulse, respiration weak, irregular and labored Symptoms: rapid pulse, respiration weak, irregular and labored chickens: ruffled feathers, drooping wings

B. Russell, B. Russell,

Milkweeds Effects: cattle, sheep, goats, horses and poultry Effects: cattle, sheep, goats, horses and poultry Toxicity: stems, leaves, roots Toxicity: stems, leaves, roots Symptoms: gastrointestinal irritation, in coordination, tremors, dilated pupils, bloating/colic Symptoms: gastrointestinal irritation, in coordination, tremors, dilated pupils, bloating/colic

Hemp Sesbania Effects: cattle Effects: cattle Toxicity: seeds most toxic Toxicity: seeds most toxic Symptoms: often found dead, constipation, animals walk stiffly with arched back Symptoms: often found dead, constipation, animals walk stiffly with arched back

Hemp Sesbania

Mimosapartridge pea

White snakeroot Effects: cattle, horses & sheep Effects: cattle, horses & sheep Toxicity: all part green or dry Toxicity: all part green or dry Symptoms: muscle trembles following exercise, weight loss Symptoms: muscle trembles following exercise, weight loss horses heart failure, legs stand far apart

Water hemlock Effects: cattle primary species (cowbane) horses, sheep Effects: cattle primary species (cowbane) horses, sheep Toxicity: all parts, primarily roots Toxicity: all parts, primarily roots Symptoms: convulsions, trembling, frothing at mouth Symptoms: convulsions, trembling, frothing at mouth Note: this plant considered to be the most toxic,

Poison hemlock Effects: livestock including poultry Effects: livestock including poultry Toxicity: whole green plant at approx 1% of b.w. Toxicity: whole green plant at approx 1% of b.w. Symptoms: gastrointestinal irritation, trembles, coldness of extremities Symptoms: gastrointestinal irritation, trembles, coldness of extremities

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 Poppy Effects: livestock Effects: livestock and poultry Toxicity: all parts Toxicity: all parts and seeds Symptoms: edema (dropsy), Symptoms: edema (dropsy), swelling of wattles and darkening of tips in comb, weakness, death swelling of wattles and darkening of tips in comb, weakness, death

St. John’s wort Effects: cattle, sheep & horses Effects: cattle, sheep & horses Toxicity: fresh and dried plant Toxicity: fresh and dried plant Symptoms: itching, photosensitization symptoms Symptoms: itching, photosensitization symptoms

References: West E. & Emmel M.W. Plants that poison farm animals, University of Florida West E. & Emmel M.W. Plants that poison farm animals, University of Florida Perkins K & Payne W. Guide to the poisonous and irritant plants of Florida, University of Florida Perkins K & Payne W. Guide to the poisonous and irritant plants of Florida, University of Florida

References cont’ Toxic plant database-Veterinarian Medicine Library Toxic plant database-Veterinarian Medicine Library Poisonous plants of the southern United States- us/content.htm Poisonous plants of the southern United States- us/content.htm us/content.htm us/content.htm University of Pennsylvania poisonous plants homepage- University of Pennsylvania poisonous plants homepage-

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

Thank You For more information visit the Small Farms web at For more information visit the Small Farms web at Take a virtual field day tour by visiting the Virtual Field Day web at Take a virtual field day tour by visiting the Virtual Field Day web at This presentation brought to you by the Small Farms/Alternative Enterprises Focus Team.