GM grass linked to Texas cattle deaths

[chippie]

I didn't know that Tifton 85 was considered to be a genetically modified grass.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57459357/gm-grass-linked-to-texas-cattle-deaths/

[TexasBred]

Many many grasses, fruits etc. contain a type of cyanide. I'm betting they simply bloated on the fresh green grass....."farmer mistake".

[CottageFarm]

I was wondering about that as I read it, TB.
It just sounded like they really wanted to leave the impression with people of "GM=Death".....
poor reporting as usual, IMO

[chippie]

Oh my goodness. Google Tifton 85 cattle deaths and there are art
icles aol over the net about it. : /

[CottageFarm]

But, as TB mentioned, there's lot's of grasses that will do it too. Switch the name in your google search for almost any other grass, and you'll still come up with tons of stories. It seems like it's more a management issue than anything else.

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index ... 210800.htm

[inbredredneck]

I didn't know that Tifton 85 was considered to be a genetically modified grass.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57459357/gm-grass-linked-to-texas-cattle-deaths/

It would be very difficult to find any non genetically modified organism.

[chippie]

I probably should have said that the articles about the recent deaths are geared towards scaring people. Now they will worry about eating beef that is fed GM passes.

[banekar]

We live in San Antonio, just south of Elgin, and had not heard about this. We have a field of Tifton 85, have not had any problems with the cattle.

[CottageFarm]

I probably should have said that the articles about the recent deaths are geared towards scaring people. Now they will worry about eating beef that is fed GM passes.

Sorry Chippie...I follow your thoughts now.
That was precisely my concern as well.
I guess the smoke here is starting to fog my brain, too

[cross_7]

Many many grasses, fruits etc. contain a type of cyanide. I'm betting they simply bloated on the fresh green grass....."farmer mistake".

tb
could it be prussic acid(cyanide) simular to johnsongrass, haygrazer and etc, ?

[B&M Farms]

Just another news reporter bashing GMO's. There has been genetically modified bermuda grasses for as long as well, coastal. Prussic acid poisoning could be a possibility I guess although I've never heard of it with a bermuda grass.

[TexasBred]

Many many grasses, fruits etc. contain a type of cyanide. I'm betting they simply bloated on the fresh green grass....."farmer mistake".

tb
could it be prussic acid(cyanide) simular to johnsongrass, haygrazer and etc, ?

Probably just plain old bloat. The area is in a drought. Probably pulled them off bare pasture, turned them into oone that had not been grazed, they begin loading up on good green grass and bloated. Have seen it happen before. Sometimes only takes 10 minutes or so and they start staggering and going down. When a large number go down about all you can do is get the knife out and start puncturing the rumen and letting out gas.

[1982vett]

Ever see a pasture of bermuda around here/there that didn't have some Johnson grass somewhere in it?

I haven't.

[TexasBred]

Ever see a pasture of bermuda around here/there that didn't have some Johnson grass somewhere in it?

I haven't.

Come out here. I can show you hundreds of fields with NO Johnson grass beginning with all of mine. Got a few goatweeds and careless weeds but that's it.

[Howdyjabo]

It was a management error. Drought conditions, turned stressed,hungry, thirsty animals(just came back from a rodeo or something) on to a new pasture that was fertilized with little rain to follow.
It was prussic acid poisoning ,but theres nothing wrong with Tifton 85, lots of grasses would have caused the same problem.

Just too many variables gone wrong at the same time-