Impact of poisonous plants on the livestock industry

Abstract

Direct losses include deaths, weight loss, abortions, lengthened calving intervals, decreased efficiency and other effects on the animals. Indirect losses come from fencing, herding, supplemental feeding, medical costs, management alterations, and loss of forage which are associated with efforts to prevent or minimize poisoning of livestock by plants. Nearly all plant communities include poisonous plants, but poisoning is usually associated with management errors, lack of forage due to range conditions, drought, and other events that would cause livestock to consume vegetation normally unacceptable. -from Authors