J. Anim Sci.
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J. Anim Sci. 1988. 66:3124-3130.
© 1988 American Society of Animal Science
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Cattle Grazing Wahweap Milkvetch in Southeastern Utah1,2,

M. H. Ralphs3, L. F. James3, D. B. Nielsen4, D. C. Baker3 and R. J. Molyneux5

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Logan UT 84321 Utah State University, Logan 84322 and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Albany CA 94710

Abstract

Cattle's grazing of the locoweed Wahweap milkvetch (Astragalus lentiginosus var. wahweapensis) was evaluated on desert and foothill winter range during the winter of 1986 to 1987. Dry, dead stalks of Wahweap milkvetch that had grown in 1985 and 1986 made up 15% of cattle diets overall, and 24% of diets when cattle grazed gravelly benches where it was abundant. Nutritional quality of Wahweap milkvetch was higher than of most associated forage, but its alkaloid concentration varied among the senescent stages. One cow aborted and two cows developed clinical signs of locoweed poisoning, including water belly (hydrops amnii). Microscopic lesions consisting of cytoplasmic foamy vacuolation were evident in both the dam and fetus. Because senescent stalks of Wahweap milkvetch are palatable and readily grazed by cattle, ranchers should not permit cattle to graze infested sites until other green forage is available in the spring.

Footnotes

1 This project was supported by a grant from the Richfield, UT, BLM District Grazing Board. Research was conducted in cooperation with the Utah Agric. Exp. Sta. Journal paper 3572.

2 The authors express appreciation to the Sandy Ranch for providing cattle for this experiment; to Gary George for data collection and care of the cattle; to Verl Bagley, Wayne County Extension Agent, for his assistance; and to the Hanksville Resource Area BLM for their permission to conduct this study on public lands.

3 USDA, ARS Poisonous Plant Res. Lab., Logan UT 84321.

4 Econ. Dept., Utah State Univ., Logan, UT 84322.

5 USDA, ARS Crop Protection Lab., Western Regional Res. Center, Albany, CA 94710.






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Copyright © 1988 by the American Society of Animal Science.