Kikuyu Poisoning Alert

SOME recent rain while not enough to turn a drought has been enough to sprout kikuyu and the Hunter Local Land Services is urging cattle producers to beware following more than 100 cattle deaths last year across the region.

They have recommended producers consider moving cattle to safer pasture or providing alternate feed such as silage or hay to avoid kikuyu poisoning.

Dr Jim Kerr, district veterinarian for Hunter Local Land Services has issued an urgent alert after multiple deaths this month.

“Kikuyu poisoning is still not completely understood, but what we do know is Kikuyu pasture can become poisonous when it grows rapidly after a period of prolonged dry weather,” said Dr Kerr.

“The exact nature of the toxin in the kikuyu plant remains unknown and is subject to ongoing research, and may involve a fungal element,” he said.

“The decent rainfall experienced in the lower Hunter and Great Lakes districts in recent days has created suitable conditions for a repeat of last year’s outbreak of kikuyu poisoning and we want producers to be alert to the risk,” he said.

“An additional warning, however, applies to provision of hay and silage – please introduce it gradually if the cattle are unaccustomed to it, as there have been a lot of cattle deaths during the last 12 months caused by nitrate poisoning when unadapted cattle have been given sudden access to rich hay,” said Dr Jim Kerr.

Kikuyu poisoning damages the stomachs of cattle, fluid accumulates in the rumen, but isn’t absorbed into the blood stream, leaving cattle severely dehydrated but unable to drink anymore due to the rumen being full.

Cattle with kikuyu poisoning are observed to drool and ‘sham drink’, standing at water sources but unable to drink.

Some facts about kikuyu poisoning:

• affected kikuyu does not look any different to safe kikuyu
• affected kikuyu is likely to be less palatable to cattle, as they will avoid it if alternative feed is available
• cattle deaths occur in paddocks when the cattle have no alternative feed available
• deaths seem to stop once cattle are removed from the affected pasture, or at least when they are offered alternative feed such as silage or hay
• the risk seems to subside after 3-4 weeks.

Cattle producers are also being urged to report suspected cases of kikuyu poisoning to Hunter Local Land Services, as we continue to collect samples for research.