Shredding off the seed heads, moving the cattle from the pastures, or providing cattle with an alternative such as hay bales until seed heads are removed, can stop the problem. The problem arises when dallisgrass forms seed heads in pastures. Ergot grows on the seed usually after mid-summer rains.
Cattle become sick after consuming a significant amount of ergot-infected dallisgrass.
Heavy ergot consumption causes nervous conditions seen as hyperexcitability, altered gait, muscle tremors and a lack of coordination in fast movements. He said the diagnostic lab, which has handled dozens of calls this week, knows of at least six cattle that have died as a result of eating ergot-infected dallisgrass. The condition causes similar symptoms in cattle to those seen with LSD use in humans, according to Dr. Larry Boleman, Texas Agricultural Extension Service beef cattle specialist. The resulting hyperexcitability may cause the cattle to charge humans, but because of their lack of balance and staggers, they are not likely to get to you. Boleman and Reagor agreed that dallisgrass poisoning can be stopped by moving the cattle off the pasture, then shredding with raised shredder blades to remove the dallisgrass seed heads only, leaving as many leaves of the grass for the cattle to feed on when returned to the pasture.