Cattle men and women across the state are urged to check their pastures and grazing areas for toxic plants and forages that could harm cattle this summer.
Dry conditions and extreme heat have led to a shortage of grass and an increased opportunity for cattle to consume dangerous plants like coffee senna, twinleaf senna, sicklepod senna and Lindheimer senna.
“Just like humans, cattle will want variety in their diet and they find the coffee senna beans quite tasty as forages become less available,” Dr. Tam Garland, head of the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostics Laboratory, said.
Coffee senna is a plant with six- to eight-inch beans that can become toxic to livestock. While other forages are turning brown due to the heat and dry weather, coffee senna is still green and appealing to livestock.
Ranchers are encouraged to scout their pastures for senna plants and also examine cattle for signs of diarrhea and weakness.
“And when they get down, they do not get up,” Garland said. “That’s why it’s so important for daily observation of cattle and to scout pastures. These are what we call alert downers. They will eat and drink if food and water is taken to them, but they cannot get up.”
Additional information on plants that are toxic to cattle and how to determine if a cow has ingested them can be found here: http://bit.ly/1Jt0PLl.