194 Feeds and Feeding. 



smaller grasses they can only be found by close inspection, but 

 this is not difficult when one is familiar with their appearance. 

 When eaten by animals ergot may produce convulsions, paralysis 

 of the hind limbs, slowness of heart action and death by exhaus- 

 tion. With pregnant animals in an advanced period of gestation 

 it may produce abortion. Epidemics of abortion in cows have 

 been traced to this cause, and veterinary surgeons employ ergot 

 to expedite languid labor. Ergotism shows itself most commonly 

 in deranged nutrition; the limbs of the animal affected turn black 

 and shrivel, dying as though attacked by dry gangrene. 1 



There have been several serious outbreaks of this disease in 

 the last form noted in different parts of the United States, gener- 

 ally in the Western states. Much needless excitement has been 

 caused in some instances through reports current in the press that 

 the ailment was the dreaded contagious " foot-and-mouth ? ' dis- 

 ease. Only cattle have so far been attacked. Horses, it is said, 

 reject hay containing ergot. 



The observant stockman can usually forestall all trouble from 

 ergot by examining the grass heads in the meadows and pastures 

 immediately before haying and avoiding grass carrying the fungus. 

 A little study will enable one to detect ergot grains even on grasses 

 as fine and small as blue grass and redtop, while they are seen 

 without difficulty on heads of timothy and wild rye. 



Ergot poisoning generally makes its appearance in late winter 

 or early spring with cattle in poor condition that are subsisting 

 wholly or largely upon hay. It announces its presence by a dis- 

 eased condition of the limbs, the extremities of which are cold 

 and almost lifeless. The trouble may continue until the hoofs 

 slough off with dry gangrene. Cattle that are affected should 

 have their feed changed at once to remove the cause of the trouble; 

 they should be warmly housed and given a variety of nourish- 

 ing feed. 



Stalker 2 affirms that cattle fed corn are never poisoned by 

 ergot, probably because this feed is nourishing and furnishes 

 an abundance of heat to the body. (177) 



1 For account of ergot and ergotism see article Ergota, National Dis- 

 pensatory; also Special Report on Diseases of Cattle and Cattle Feeding, 

 Report Bureau Animal Industry, 1895-6. U. S. Dept. Agr., Washington. 



2 Bui. 17, Iowa Sta. 



