A healthy pasture is a vital resource for a livestock operation, and it requires year-round attention. One of the most critical periods is the fall when decisions dictate how much forage will be produced for the season.
Poisonous plants are a major cause of economic loss to the livestock industry. Two poisonous plants common to Oregon are poison hemlock and Western water hemlock. Ingestion of either by humans or livestock typically results in death.
Silage-making has been used to reduce the concentrations of toxins in a variety of crops. But in the case of poison hemlock, the opposite is true — making silage out of it actually increases one of its toxic alkaloids.
Some plants absorb excess nitrates or oxalates from the soil and store them in plant tissues. Toxicity problems can occur in animals which feed on these plants.
Mylen Bohle, David Hannaway, Andy Hulting, Karin Neff |
Apr 2018 |
Educational gallery