I'm back

[donnaIL]

Even though no one missed me... been 18 months.

I would like information on personal experience with cockelburs in feed...don't just look it up on the internet... i already did. TX

 

[donnaIL]

Okay..so no one knows...say your feed guy brought you a load infested with it..what would you do?

 

[upfrombottom]

I thought cockle burs were obsolete. I haven't seen one since the invention of Roundup.

 

[dun]

I would make him come and get it and give me my money back

 

[donnaIL]

Evidently not, I got 4+ tons of feed infested with it, I'm not gonna tell the whole story.. question is what would you do?

I know what I did, I want to know experiences from others..

When the feed store tells me they cannot "guarantee" that it okay well

 

[donnaIL]

yes dun thats the plan...i dont think they like it

i didnt order the stuff in the mix..

 

[dun]

yes dun thats the plan...i dont think they like it

i didnt order the stuff in the mix..

Unless they're some flybynight outfit they will (should) take it back

 

[donnaIL]

they are not a flyby night place i sent u a pm.. also no discount price, they just brought the stuff full price, offered a discount afterwards. is this what it will come to with the price of corn up?

 

[upfrombottom]

I agree with Dun, if its not what I ordered, they would have to come get it and give me my money back. Just curious as to what the ingredients were supposed to be to have that many cockle burs in it. I would be worried about what else may be in it, because cockle burs are about the easiest thing there is to get rid of.

 

[donnaIL]

My mix is pretty simple... I feed cows, calves a bull and feed out a few. I have cracked corn some soymeal and salt.. this mix was about 7900 corn 500 soy mix and some minerals.. The delivery person and also the person at the feed office told me they purchased my corn somewhere else... In other words I called a feed store and they went and bought "corn" somewhere else. Yes it was in the corn and I know from where too. The delivery guy shows up and says theres "cockleburs in there", well i have never had that happen, they are suppose to be food safety right. Well then I look it up, and I will add lots of folks get delivery not even there, so I call, they keep samples...the story just goes on and on..

Edited to say: there was enough of the stuff that I asked when it was being unloaded how much it weighed and what was I paying for it.. also went inside and looked it up and called them back (its complicated). enought of it that the feed store person (and he didn't know it was in there) said they would pick it up and replace the feed. but i have some other issues..and when i was offered a "deal" and said can you guareentee my cattle will be okay (this stuff is toxic per the internet), the answer was, no we will come get it.

Oh and Dun...do you take pm's anymore..doesnt show up as sent..

 

[Isomade]

They would come and get their feed and give me my money back with a discount on my next purchase. If they won't at least come and get it and give money back I would park outside the office and show samples to every customer to come in the parking lot.

 

[dun]

Oh and Dun...do you take pm's anymore..doesnt show up as sent.. but this is a purina dealer and a FS exentsion. maybe that doesnt mean anything.

I don;t have any indication that there is a pm waiting to be read

 

[angus9259]

Depending on how much you ordered you can 1. file with small claims court or 2. have your attorney write a letter. If you have all the documentation it should be a pretty easy deal. I would not feed it. Save samples, get witnesses, keep documents, take it to the back 40, dump it, and start over. Actually, as has been suggested, it would probably be helpful to dump it in their parking lot.

 

[TexasBred]

Even though no one missed me... been 18 months.

I would like information on personal experience with cockelburs in feed...don't just look it up on the internet... i already did. TX

You should have received a GUARANTEED analysis with the feed when it was delivered. Does it list cockleburrs as an ingredient?? I'm sure it doesn't. If you have a state feed inspector you can call out he can probably get the stuff pickup up for you and the whole thing settled.

 

[donnaIL]

Thanks everyone..just wanted to make sure I wasn't over reacting as the feed store guys seemed to think it was no big deal. And no cockleburs was not a listed ingredient in my mix.

Dun, I tried 2 times to send u a pm...seems like I forgot how to use it, seems like I remember there are preferences that a person sets up from which pick list they can be sent a message. I picked you but it didnt go. no big deal I covered it here.

Hopefully problem will be resolved today.

 

[TexasBred]

Donna here is a long cut and paste concerning cockleburrs

32. COMMON COCKLEBUR

Xanthium strumarium

(daisy family)


TOXICITY RATING: High.


ANIMALS AFFECTED: All animals may be affected. Cattle, swine, sheep, and poultry are more at risk than horses and pets.


DANGEROUS PARTS OF PLANT: The seeds and seedlings contain the highest quantity of toxin, yet the whole plant can be considered toxic. The seed burs can cause mechanical damage.


CLASS OF SIGNS: Gastrointestinal irritation, weakness, breathing difficulty, behavioral changes, cardiac abnormalities, death.


PLANT DESCRIPTION: The angled, sometimes red- or black-spotted stems of cocklebur grow 1 to 3 feet high. Leaves of this many-branched annual are alternate, hairy, rough-textured (sandpaper-like), somewhat heart-shaped, toothed, and lobed (fig. 32). Flowers are inconspicuous with male flowers in terminal spikes, female flowers in clusters in the leaf axils. The fruit is a hard, oval, prickly bur about 3/4 inch long containing two seeds (fig. 32A). Because seeds germinate best after being soaked in water, the plants are usually found along the shores of ponds where water has receded. The edges of farm ponds may be lush with young cockleburs. Seedlings have small strap-shaped leaves 1/4 inch wide by 11/4 inches long (fig. 32B). They also pop up in gardens, fields, roadsides, and other areas of nearly full sunlight.


SIGNS: There are several types of toxins in cocklebur, one being a glycoside, carboxyatractyloside, which causes hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and a group of sesquiterpene lactones which can cause vomiting (in those species capable of vomiting), weakness, tremors, weak pulse, a loss of appetite and convulsions. Liver damage may also result from these toxins, and death is likely if a sufficient dose was consumed (ingestion of green plant at approximately 0.75% of body weight). The seed bur can cause mechanical damage (please refer to the section on Foxtail barley). The most common time for toxic signs is late spring and early summer for the seedlings, later in the summer for the burs, and at any time seed-contaminated prepared feeds are ingested. As the cocklebur plant matures, the toxicity decreases (except for the seeds). The seedlings are extremely dangerous, and typically sprout in wet areas, such as alongside streams, at the edges of ponds, in receding floodplains, etc. Animals will tend to avoid cocklebur, even the seedlings, as long as there is sufficient forage available. Species that are less discriminant eaters (cattle, swine) are particularly at risk where cocklebur grows. Once toxic signs develop, death may follow within 48 hours. Some animals may recover, but this may take some time (weeks).


Other conditions of toxicity can occur when seeds are incorporated into prepared feeds. Feeds that may become contaminated include hay (especially if cut later in the growing season when cocklebur has gone to seed), silage, or grains (corn, beans). If the feeds (especially the grains) are highly processed, it may be difficult to arrive at an accurate diagnosis of cocklebur toxicosis. The seed is highly toxic, and any species may become poisoned upon consumption.


FIRST AID: If animals are observed eating cocklebur, contact a veterinarian immediately. In the meantime, prevent further consumption of the plant by all animals. Keep animals quiet until the veterinarian arrives.


SAFETY IN PREPARED FEEDS: The seedling, when dried, retains its toxicity, therefore feeds with dried seedlings are not safe for consumption. Mature plants are less toxic, but consumption is still not advised. Feeds that contain burs and/or seeds are a mechanical threat as well as a toxic one, therefore these feeds are also not safe for consumption at any dosage.


PREVENTION: Pasture management is essential to prevent poisonings by cocklebur. Mature, seed-bearing plants should be removed from the pasture to prevent seeding and germination. This is particularly important if the pasture contains any wet areas that are subject to seasonal drying. If removal of the plants is impractical, fence off areas where seedlings are likely to germinate and/or provide for supplemental feed to decrease interest in the seedlings. For prepared feeds, exert extra caution when harvesting for hay, silage, or grains and do not allow any cocklebur to be included. Buy prepared feeds only from reputable dealers.

 

[bigbull338]

your in a pickle with the feed store esp since they are not wanting to give you your money back an pick up the feed.you will probly have to get a lawyer involved in the deal.

 

[donnaIL]

The feed store treated me right, they sent a crew and picked up all the infested stuff and is bringing me a clean load tomorrow.

Yes TexasBred, I found that information after it was delivered, I didn't realize the toxicity of he stuff when it was unloaded. But because it had the stuff in it I looked it up before I fed it. I still cant believe they even brought the stuff out to me. Anyway hope nothing like this happens again!

 

[pdfangus]

I personally would be checking out other feed suppliers and selecting a replacment who seemed interested in my business.

the guy I deal with now is not the cheapest but he truly values my business and I am small potatoes.

big local coop round here once caused three local dairies to be put off the market because the feed was contaminated with alfatoxin from the corn. They denied and denied and backwatered until it was proven that the feed was the source. No compensation for the milk lost. If they would treat three big customers that way I know they have no regard for me. that was over twenty years ago and I still don't like to deal with em.

We are not in big ag country and I still have four options as feed suppliers and maybe twice that many commercial lines of feed to choose from. the guy I deal with carries Purina, blue seal, pennington, a local grain label and possibly some more. The last company I dealt for over ten years with is a local coop with their own mill and they stand behind their stuff. If my friend sold out tomorrow, I would go back to them.

 

[donnaIL]

I hear you pdfangus, and I did go back to my previous supplier. I talked to them and they assured me that they look at thier corn and that if there are weeds, etc in it that they have a screen and cleaner they use.

I had switched to this place because the price of corn went so high..it was less expensive and a little closer so I saved on delivery charge.

They were going to bring me a clean load of feed today--they had left me some bags of "clean" feed yesterday to get me through and I found those also contained cockleburs--and so I called this morning and told them I wanted "clean" feed and that the bagged stuff wasn't, I wanted assurance that they would not be delivery more of this same stuff. They told me that corin in Illinois contains cocklebur, i told them that in 10 years of prucharsing corn this was the first time I'd seen it. They called me back told me they would mail me a refund and it would be best if I bought feed elsewhere.

I understand how the weed got in there..we have alot of farmers who farm bottom land, we had a wet year...they were not able to spray when they needed too and there probably was a small window of time that they could take it off. Last couple years the bottom grounds have stayed wet. Anyway I am really surprised how this all turned out. It's worth a little more money to not have to go through this aggrivation.