Johnson Grass Toxicity

[nap]

We use the state veterinary lab in Little Rock. It costs $10.00 per sample. Cheap when you consider the alternative.

 

[bird dog]

I lost one two years ago about this time of the year. It was three weeks after a moderate rain. She got out in the driveway, ate some bad grass, sat down and died in about 10 minutes. One other old Brahma cross cow was with her and got sick but it didn't kill her. She was also down so I called the vet. He knew immediately what it was and told me if she was still alive she would be OK. I didn't want to take a chance so he came out after about a hour later and gave her a shot of Sodium Nitrate. She was up in about 10 minutes but never seemed quite the same. I couldn't seem to keep weight on her after this episode. She bred back and calved on time the next year. I weaned this calf early and gave her a couple months to fatten up but she still only weighed 900 when she was sold. I would be careful with it even if your tests say it is all right. The vet told me he had see cases where just a few stalks in a 100 acre field will be toxic but one cow will find them and drop like a rock. Good luck

 

[nap]

Thanks for the informative reply. To bring the topic up to date, I was at a grazing conference at the beginning of the week. I asked both Jim Garrish and Ron Morrow about Johnson grass toxicity. I was amazed that they both seemed to know little or nothing about it. But there was a state veterinarian in the audience that said that he had already had over a hundred dead cows autopsied and all were positive for the toxin. I imagine about one out of twenty cows ever gets as far as an autopsy table. So who knows what the fatality numbers really are. Yesterday my next store neighbor told me he had lost two cows the day before that had broken through a fence and ate Johnson grass.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Just had on our local news last night a farmer in Polk county that lost 5 head; 2 dairy that he let out and then 3 more beef that broke through the fence to get at it. Very scary stuff!

 

[Goodlife]

I asked both Jim Garrish and Ron Morrow about Johnson grass toxicity. I was amazed that they both seemed to know little or nothing about it. But there was a state veterinarian in the audience that said that he had already had over a hundred dead cows autopsied and all were positive for the toxin. I imagine about one out of twenty cows ever gets as far as an autopsy table. So who knows what the fatality numbers really are. Yesterday my next store neighbor told me he had lost two cows the day before that had broken through a fence and ate Johnson grass.

Interesting NAP. I agree that likely no more than 5% get autopsied which makes the numbers really scarry. I am also surprised Jim Garrish did not know about JG toxicity. He is out more west these days where perhaps they don't have JG?? However he used to farm in Missouri where we have lots of it. Anyway, thanks for the post.