The Bozeman courier., 1927-06-03
PLANTS POISONOUS
TO RANGE STOCK
(FrOm Montana State COIIege-By H. E.
Morris and DR.. Howard Welch.)

Morris and DR.. Howard Welch.)
HERE are many kinds of Iupines
found in Montana and neighboring
states, many, if not all, of which
are responsible for injury to stock.
The lupines vary in height from 10
inches to three feet. The stems grow in
clusters from perennial root and branch
freely. In many species the entire plant
is covered with fine hairs, giving it
graylSh appearance. The leaves are COM
pound, with the leaflets attached to the
extreme tip. The flowers are borne in
long, loose spokes on the ends Of the
branches. They are shaped like those of
the pea and are colored in varying shades
OF blue and white. These flowers ap-
pear mostly in June and July and are
followed by short, hairy pods, contain
ing usually three to six seeds.
The pods and especially the seeds con-
TAIN most OF the poisonous principle,
the leaves and stems being relatively
| harmless
Lupines are plentiful throughout the
entire west but are especially abundant
on dry hillsideS. Little attempt is made
TO eradicate them unless it is desired to
destroys them
Luptnes are chiefly dangerous to sheep.
There have been occasional losses of
horses and cattle. The pods and seeds
are poisonous, and the plant is dangerous
only when they are present, being harm
less before the seeds form and after the
pods dry and the seeds have fallen. Be
cause sheep herd closely, if poisoning oc-
ours 1T generally affects a large number.
Losses Of 500 to 1000 sheep in a few
hours are not uncommon. Lupines in
hay may be poisonous if cut while the
, pods are green, but not otherwise.
) Symptoms
The affected sheep begin to show nerv-
Gus excitement in an hour or so after
eating lupines. They start walking
rapidly away in any direction, more OF
less blindly, running into trees anc
brush falling into gplches, etc. Poisoned
sheep often become widely scattered
Sometimes they place their heads against
a post or tree and push on it until they
fall and die. Many poisoned sheep bloat
! but not all OF them and the bloating doe.
not seem to be entirely the effect Of the
poison. In sheep that are not fatally roi
soned but remain affected for a day o.
two, there is frothing at the mouth anC
. weakness Of the legs.
i When a hundred or more sheep in
p band are poisoned by lupine, there is S,
much confusion, with sheep travelling u
= all directions, that it is difficult to keel
. track OF any one animal. Therefore, afte
u a big loss there are always a dozen o
!: more slightly affected sheep seen the fol
! lowing day. The percentage of recover
: probably is small.
Prevention
There is no successful treatment fo
poisoned sheep, but losses can be pre-
vented by proper handling Of the shee
= during late July and August, or when
= ever the lupineS are in the pod stage
- Poisoning from lUpine occurs almost al
= together under the following condition:
- - sheep being driven from one range t
- another and passing through lupir
IL patches while hungry. 2-Sheep movin
:, from summer range in early fall. g.
~ Sheep unloaded from cars in late sun
- ~ mer and driven through lupine patche
10 EARLY fall SHOWS covering grass an
8 leaving lupine exposed. 5-Sheep G
overgrazed or burned-out pastures whe
scattered lupines grow.
=. Sheep will not eat lupine pods exec
40 under unusual conditions as listed aboV
ne The wise herder will not hurry a bar
" of sheep through lupines. If in moViI
Ie sheep it is necessary to go over pass
Sy ridge where lupineS are abundant tt
ce sheep should be held on good feed f
y a while and then drifted through Il
! = lupines as slowly as possible. A band
= 5000 lambs has been taken in this mai
u ner through a mile of almost solid II
pines without single loss while a bar
. of ewes following a few days later, hu
ried and "dogged" through the lupint
IA lost 600 head. Always allow sheep
select their forage and do not hur
q them, causing them to grab anythil
- within reach.
Lupines have put many sheepmen o
OF business in a few hours and it pays
ut have the route looked over in aGvan
no when moving sheep any distance in t
,se late summer and early fall.