KEYETV-Mysterious Mass Cattle Deaths May Be Caused By Random Grass Mutation (into Cyanide)

[Koolblue13]

Well, this is pretty disturbing. Good thing Congress voted against labeling GMO foods yesterday.

http://weareaustin.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_2393.shtml

"When our trainer first heard the bellowing, he thought our pregnant heifer may be having a calf or something," said Abel. "But when he got down here, virtually all of the steers and heifers were on the ground. Some were already dead, and the others were already in convulsions."

Within hours, 15 of the 18 cattle were dead.

"That was very traumatic to see, because there was nothing you could do, obviously, they were dying," said Abel.

Dr. Gary Warner, an Elgin veterinarian who specializes in cattle, conducted the 15 necropsy. Preliminary tests revealed the Tifton 85 grass, which has been here for years, had suddenly started producing cyanide gas, poisoning the cattle.

---------- Post added June-23rd-2012 at 02:19 PM ----------

I wonder how common this type of grass is. It could be used for developments, playgrounds, schools. If it's that common, this could be very bad.

If used for beef cattle, people are eating this.

[MrSilverMaC]

Holy ****, cyanide GAS?

I googled the grass and the first 3 links were from universities, and the links I looked at were touting the ease of planting and the robustness of the grass. It probably isn't used for landscaping but it looks like it's used a ton in agriculture.

[twa]

Not GMO is it?....a simple hybrid

I would be curious on what fertilizer/weed control if any they used

---------- Post added June-23rd-2012 at 04:04 PM ----------

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/210800.htm

The cyanogenic glycoside potential of plants can be increased by heavy nitrate fertilization, especially in phosphorus-deficient soils. Spraying of cyanogenic forage plants with foliar herbicides such as 2,4-D can increase their prussic acid concentrations for several weeks after application.

The cyanogenic glycoside potential is slow to decrease in drought-stricken plants containing mostly leaves. Grazing stunted plants during drought is the most common cause of poisoning of livestock by plants that produce prussic acid.

[HOF44]

Koolblue is gonna have a field day with this one.

Duh!!! He started the thread! I'll go sit in the corner now. :dunce:

[Mr. Sinister]

Well so much for the Chupacabra theory...

[twa]

everything old is new again

September 1940

http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3511/

[daveakl]

Don't worry, just got off the phone with mark wahlberg. It's going to be ok.

[Unforgiven]

Don't worry, just got off the phone with mark wahlberg. It's going to be ok.

hah...that movie was the first thing that popped into my head when I clicked on this.

[China]

Thanks for the balancing info twa.

[twa]

I gotta defend Texas grass

[Koolblue13]

I gotta defend Texas grass

Is that what happened? They treated it with something that made it mutate into grass that contains cyanide?

I just saw that after a couple years of a drought it happened.

[Mad Mike]

The article says it was genetically modified but I'm pretty sure that's not true. From what I have read, it's an old fashioned hybrid that seems to have developed a nasty side effect to survive drought conditions and possibly do defend itself against it's greatest predator. Evolution in action.

[twa]

Is that what happened? They treated it with something that made it mutate into grass that contains cyanide?

I just saw that after a couple years of a drought it happened.

It is a natural process that many plants have,one that increases under the right conditions.....cyanide is all around you

It is what I assume happened,and not real unusual (though usually a rancher is more aware of the signs and intervenes)

[Hubbs]

Don't worry, just got off the phone with mark wahlberg. It's going to be ok.

I know that's probably a Happening reference, and not a Marky Mark stopping 9/11 reference, but I don't care....

[Koolblue13]

It is a natural process that many plants have,one that increases under the right conditions.....cyanide is all around you

It is what I assume happened,and not real unusual (though usually a rancher is more aware of the signs and intervenes)

Is it a common thing for grass to turn into toxic poison? Is that a normal thing? Do you like eating meat from farms that have cows eating that beef?

[twa]

Is it a common thing for grass to turn into toxic poison? Is that a normal thing? Do you like eating meat from farms that have cows eating that beef?

Common enough that a rancher should be aware of it.

was the last bit a typo?

I like grass fed beef and certainly have eaten some