Copper deficiency can delay flowering and cause male sterility, causing the floret to remain open for longer allowing spores to enter. These alkaloids are toxic to animals, poultry and humans. Ergotism is the symptom that develops in humans and animals after eating food or feed with ergot contamination. Ergotism is rare now because of the strict guidelines for allowable ergot bodies in grain but can still be found in livestock fed poor quality grain. Symptoms include impaired circulation causing a burning sensation and gangrene of extremities.
Nervous convulsions can also occur and lead to eventual death.
Even one ergot body in 1000 kernels may be considered unsafe. Pharmaceutical companies have used the compounds found in ergot for medicines to aid in the control of bleeding and for child birth. Now most of these derivatives are made from synthetic forms of the alkaloids. Only occasionally will environmental and crop maturity conditions 'click' to get widespread ergot problems. Unfortunately, this seems to one of those years.