14 
BULLETIN 1245, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
The losses from lupine poisoning are mostly of sheep, although 
some horses are poisoned. It is probable that the lupines are the 
principal cause of sheep losses in the late summer and fall months. 
It is not by any means to be understood that sheep are always poi- 
soned when they come upon a patch of lupine, for bands of sheep 
may feed through lupine for a whole season without any harm. 
When, however, a hungry band comes upon a patch of lupine at the 
time when the pods are filled with seeds, poisoning frequently occurs. 
Cases of poisoning sometimes happen when sheep are taken from the 
cars and allowed to graze freely upon lupine. Many cases of poison- 
ing have occurred when the sheep are brought down from the moun- 
tains in the fall. If during that passage the band is overtaken by a 
snowstorm, sometimes it will feed freely upon the lupine pods which 
remain above the snow, and heavy losses may occur. It is not un- 
usual for several hun- 
dred out of a band to 
be killed by lupine poi- 
soning. These losses 
are not confined to any 
one State, but occur in 
most of the Western 
States where sheep are 
grazed upon the range. 
While there is definite 
experimental proof of 
the poisonous proper- 
ties of some of the 
lupines, others are 
known to be not poi- 
sonous. It is difficult, 
Fig. 11.— A range sheep poisoned by lupine however, _ even for Olie 
trained in botany to 
distinguish between these, so that the wise herder will endeavor to 
keep his sheep away from all lupines when the plants are in pod. 
Symptoms of Ltjpinf Poisoning. 
The symptoms of lupine poisoning resemble in many respects those 
produced by some other poisonous plants. There is frothing at the 
mouth, but in addition the animals run about in a frenzy, butting 
against any opposing object in a way which seems to be character- 
istic of this disease. Figure 11 shows a range sheep poisoned by 
lupine. This Avas one of a large number affected as they were coming 
from summer range. In Figure 12 is shown a poisoned animal, sheep 
253, butting against the side of the pen. This is typical of lupine 
poisoning. 
Teeatment of Lupine Poisoning. 
Nn medicinal remedies have been found for eases of lupine poison- 
ing. The only thing for a sheep herder to do is to make certain in 
advance that the animals under his care shall not come upon a patch 
of lupine in pod at a time when they are particularly hungry. 
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