This is the mustard weed we have here. Two years ago we had, what ranchers were calling, the WORST year of it ever...I did an article about the toxic weeds we were seeing, among them the Tansy Mustard and the peavine which is a type of loco.
Here is the tansy mustard variety we get:
Here is the peavine:
the article in part:
A wet fall followed by a wet spring is getting the credit for a banner year for toxic plant growth in Lincoln County, New Mexico
These toxic culprits that respond to the early moisture and seem to flourish in years of drought such as the area has seen in grave proportions the past decade. Mustard weed, loco and peavine are all toxic early starters and usually the first green forage livestock will find, sometimes beginning as early as January.
After years of serious drought, early year grass availability is minimal to cattle on many of the local ranches, making that first 'green' in the spring delectable forage to livestock. Mustard weed seems less prevalent where turf is thick and tight.
Tansy mustard, when consumption is moderate, is desirable, nutritious forage, but with exceptions. It contains a chemical that causes tongue paralysis and blindness in cattle. Affected cattle often begin "head pressing" where they will stand and press their heads against an immobile object.
But most often, they go blind and have a paralyzed tongue, sometimes referred to as "woody tongue." They cannot eat or drink resulting in death through dehydration and rumen impaction.
Most animals will recover if removed from the affected pasture, re-hydrated and fed.
Some ranchers will try various "home remedies," one which is to inject grain alcohol directly into the blood stream, theoretically causing a breakdown of the toxins. The remedy seems to make the cattle feel better but many veterinarians will tell you the "feel better" is the same short-lived euphoria that is felt with human consumption of alcohol.
Weather, moisture, soil type and elevation all seem to have an effect on the level of toxicity in the tansy mustard as well as at what stage the plant is most toxic to animals. Some ranchers see their cattle forage on the plant regularly with no ill affects while others see what experts are calling "indirect evidence of sudden death caused by nitrate poisoning."
When warm days produce rapid growth that is suddenly interrupted by a freeze or cold weather, as has happened in the past month in Lincoln County, Tansy has been shown to accumulate nitrates.
Natural Resources Conservation Service range management specialist Don Ashby said there are about 24 species of mustard weeds that grow locally and not all of them are toxic. London Rocket mustard is often confused with Tansy mustard and as far as anyone knows, London Rocket is not poisonous.
Locoweed poisoning is especially a problem in horses and cattle but sheep and goats can be affected. The animals can recover from mild cases but suffer permanent ill effects. Once animals begin to eat the plant, they continue to seek it out as in an addiction. Permanent brain damage occurs once the animal has been "locoed."
Peavine, more correctly known as Emory Loco, has a different toxin and affect than other varieties of loco. It affects livestock by causing coordination problems in the animals' hind legs.
Most often the affects of the toxic plants' consumption are seen in cattle, but sheep, goats, horses and poultry can also be affected.
---Supposed to be 90 today but it's actually been pretty cool up until now -- for us anyway.
