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Posted 11 August 2008. Forage and Grazinglands. Keep Toxic Plants from Livestock University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. aces.illinois.edu Urbana-Champaign, Illinois (July 28, 2008)--Summer can often mean dry conditions in pastures, despite the amount of rainfall earlier in the season. Especially if grazing unimproved bluegrass pastures, there can become a general lack of forage available and there may be more temptation by the livestock to feed on toxic plants that may be present as weeds. Livestock would not normally readily eat most of these plants, but under dry or overgrazed conditions, they may try to find more succulent feed.
Plants such as white snakeroot and nightshade growing in pasture areas can be toxic. Also, yews that are planted in the landscape around pastures can be toxic to livestock, if eaten. Now is the time of year when evergreens, such as yews, are pruned, which can mean needing to dispose of the clippings. Whether alive or dead, foliage from yews and some other landscape plants can be deadly to livestock, especially horses. Do not allow livestock to graze on nearby plants and do not dispose trimmings in pastures or other areas where they can be eaten. Taking time to walk the pasture area to look for poisonous plants or plants that livestock can reach across a fence can help prevent such plants from becoming an attractive source of forage for the animals if pastures are dry. Several of the toxic plants are more common in wooded pastures. The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine maintains a website at www.library.uiuc.edu, which details many of the toxic plants' growth characteristics and poison properties. They also maintain the Poisonous Plant Garden, which can help individuals become familiar with plants that are potentially hazardous to a range of animal species including humans. The garden includes over ninety species of plants native to Illinois or commonly used as ornamentals or houseplants. The Poisonous Plant Garden is located just northwest of the College of Veterinary Medicine Basic Science Building, near the corner of Lincoln Avenue and St. Mary's Road in Urbana, Illinois. The Garden is open to the public free of charge throughout the year. Toxic effects of plants vary with the species, health status, and age of the individual(s). Time of year, humidity, growth conditions, growth stage, and other factors also play a role in the hazards posed by toxic plants. Contact: |
