This message is from: "Vanessa N. Weber" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
_____ Sent: Monday, July 30, 2007 7:55 AM Subject: Hay Problems "Georgia Ag Commissioner Tommy Irvin has alerted horse owners to be on the lookout for possible toxicity in alfalfa hay from Michigan and the upper midwest. With the severe drought in the South, hay is being shipped from farms far to the north. Bales of this hay may contain a weed called Hoary Alyssum (Berteroa incana), a plant toxic to horses. Irvin reported 25 horses in GA have been sickened from eating alfalfa hay from Michigan containing the weed. Symptoms include swollen legs, fever, short-term diarrhea, and some showed signs of foundering. The toxic weed is difficult to spot in alfalfa, as it is stalky like alfalfa, but Hoary Alyssum has round stems and the leaves are not directly oposite each other...they appear alternately up the stem. Dried Hoary Alyssum is fragile and the leaves may have disintegrated and become part of the 'dust' in the hay bale. Look closely - the older stems may have a purplish blush, a slight fuzz on stems gives the plant its name for its 'hoary' appearance. If you suspect this weed in alfalfa you have, do NOT feed it, and if your horse shows the above symptions, call your vet immediately. To find out more about Hoary Alyssum and see a color picture, type "Hoary Alyssum in Hay Univ. of Minnesota paper' in your computer's Search Box. It should be the first site on the list." Reprinted from Horse & Pony, July 2007 The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
