The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1920-02-12


lar control being evidenced, the animal
shaking and trembling and perhaps
rearing and jumping backward when
suddenly. alarmed. A badly lOcOed
steer shows violently shaking head,
particularly after it has become heat
ed, and sometimes becomes frantic and
runs into Instructions in an utterly I'M
reasonable way. Locoed cattle grad
uqlly lose flesh, have staring eyes,
rough coats, 60 to water less and less
frequently, and eventually die Of star
vation. -
The symptoms Of sheep poisoning are
not so marked as those in horses and
cattle, the lack of muscular control not
being so noticeable. However, locOed
sheep soon develop weakness and Stun
BILE and fall about and rise again only
with great difficulty. There Is some
confusion between this. condition and
"grub in the head" and at times it is
difficult to distinguish between sheep
affected by the grub of the sheep CAD
ay and those poisoned by loco weeds.
! Can Cure Valuable Animals.
Most locOed animals can be cured,
but they should be worth enough to
warrant a somewhat extended course
Of treatment. The first and most i'm
portant need is to supply them with
plenty Of nutritious feed, such as al
falfa, grain or meal, and proper pas
turage, SO that they will not be oblig-
ed to resort to loco weed for food.
Medical treatment, such as Is outlined
fully in Farmers Bulletin 1854, recent
" issued by the United States depart
ment Of agriculture, should be follow
ed. Rapid recoveries can hardly be
expected, as the condition existing In
Q, case Of chronic loco poisoning has
been developed by weeks OF months
Of loco feeding, which means that the
rate of recovery must necessarily be
slow. However, where the animals
are treated carefully and conscien-
tiously along lines suggested by the
United States department Of agricul-
ture, much valuable range stock may
he saved.
Loco poisoning can be largely pre-
vented by proper handling Of live
stock. As the stock commonly con-
tract the habit Of loco feeding in times
Of short feed, stockmen should provide
plenty Of good hay at such periods. On
some ranges the loco weeds have def
initely limited distribution and insuch
cases, II animals are kept away from
the infested areas until the grass 10
started, few become locoed.
XIII Out Loco Weeds.
It IL relatively simple to clear out
the loco plant by cutting the roots for
two to three inches below the surface.
However, a. the seeds Of loco plants
live for years and do not terminate
in the season following their growth,
1t is necessary to continue the exter.
mination work for several seasons If
ter the original plants have been killed.
Many stockmen believe 1t 10 necessary
to remove all of the loco roots in order
to control the pest, but this 10, erro-
neous. Badly infested tracts Of land
have been cleared under the direction
of the United States department Of ag-
riculture, and In many Of these pas
lures kept under observation for ten
years very few loco plants have ap-
peared. One ranchman In New Mex
leo reports the cleaning up Of an 80
acre pasture and later on pasture Of
eight sections where previously the
weed had covered one-fourth Of the
total area. Although this work cost
s. an acre, It has been money wen
spent, AZ practically no trouble from
loco weed has since developed.