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Discussion on What's this weed in our hay?
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Member:
Mwebster
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Posted on Friday, Nov 10, 2006 - 10:15 pm:
One of the loads of hay we bought earlier this fall has some wicked thorny plant in it. Here's a picture (it's hard to see the thorns but they run all the way up the stem, including up into the leaves). It has a yellow berry about 1/2" in diameter. Can anyone tell me what this is? Aside from the unpleasantness of getting pricked picking up a flake to feed out, I'm wondering whether it's safe. We're in MA and so this came from somewhere in the northeast.
Thanks!
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Member:
Scooter
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Posted on Friday, Nov 10, 2006 - 10:48 pm:
Hi melissa, if I had to guess it looks like horsenettle to me. We have some in our pastures where the cows are kept. It is a member of the nightshade family, so it is toxic to horses I believe. Once it is dried and baled I don't know.
Maybe if you google horsenettle you could find more info, or maybe Dr.O. knows.
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Member:
Kathleen
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Posted on Saturday, Nov 11, 2006 - 8:34 am:
Melissa,
That looks like a weed we have in our pasture in Texas. I looked it up on the Texas A&M website under plants and they call it nightshade and horse nettle also. They say it is toxic, but I have never seen a horse even try to eat it. If I were you and got hay with a lot of it in it, I would take it back and exchange it if possible. The place where we buy our hay gladly take back any that is not acceptable and ask that they be told even if we don't bring it back as they don't want to be selling this kind of hay. But I don't know your situation and if that is even possible.
Check out this webpage of Texas A&M:
https://uvalde.tamu.edu/herbarium/soel.htm
Kathleen
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Member:
Mwebster
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Posted on Saturday, Nov 11, 2006 - 8:36 pm:
Thank you very much, ladies! I will call the dealer ASAP about returning this hay. Disappointing, as we had brought a test bale home and that bale was beautiful and smelled wonderful. But so far every bale we've opened in this load is riddled with the nettle.
M
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Sunday, Nov 12, 2006 - 8:51 am:
The fruiting body strongly suggests nightshade (Solanum sp.) which here locally is different than what we call horsenettle. Nightshade can be poisonous but in general horses will totally avoid it unless starving. See the poisonous plant lists for articles on this plant. An interesting preposed new type of toxic principle from this plant can be found in the article on ivermectin dewormer.
DrO
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Member:
jojo15
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Posted on Monday, Feb 5, 2007 - 6:22 pm:
i thought i would jsut add to this because i have the same question, but different weed picture.
Its very fluffy and soft. and if you need a better photo let me know. I just cropped so you could see the up close. it has a large stalk attached to it.
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Member:
jojo15
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Posted on Monday, Feb 5, 2007 - 6:25 pm:
its in my hay, i just had delivered. and the horse as of yet hasn't gone near it, but so much of it was in the hay, that pad was only half eaten.
here is the full leaf with stalk...
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2007 - 6:46 am:
Melissa's picture and description appears to be one of the Solanum species, one of which is often called Horse Nettle (S carolinenes). This is probably a poisonous plant and despite being very common in poorly cared for fields throughout North America, actual proved cases of poisoning in horses are hard to find. The thorns and bitter taste probably are part of the reason and it may not be as toxic as it's close relative, blooming nightshade. If there is too much to pick out before you feed, I would return those bales.
DrO
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Member:
jojo15
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Posted on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2007 - 8:58 am:
Thanks Dr. O. I was referencing the pics i took and placed above. its nothing like i've ever seen before. Wonder if this is a normalweed or a toxic one.
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Member:
hpyhaulr
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Posted on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2007 - 10:23 am:
Meissa,
Thank you for this post, I have seen this in our hay before, but now will be far more vigilant!
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Member:
mcbizz
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Posted on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2007 - 12:12 pm:
Sure is a nasty looking plant, for sure! I have a book called Horse Owner's Field Guide to Toxic Plants by Sandra M. Burger that shows plants all over the country that are toxic to horses. Many I was never aware of. Jojo, that looks like a nettle or thistle with all that "fur" on it. Milkweed looks like that too, and is toxic. Finding that kind of plant in hay is scarey.
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Member:
tweeter
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Posted on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2007 - 6:34 pm:
Just a thought...once I found strange weeds in a load of hay we purchased so I took the weed to the farmer whom I purchased the hay from and he took one look and knew what it was. Turned out to be harmless and a weed he was trying to get rid of without applying weed killer. Most local extension agents can also tell you exactly what it is and if it is harmful.
Good luck
Kathy
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Member:
jojo15
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Posted on Tuesday, Feb 6, 2007 - 9:15 pm:
carolyn scary isn't the term. Its literally 1/3 of each pad. So i'm also wasting money. not the exact reason to worry, but money is money. At first my horses didn't eat it. till they ran out of the good stuff than started to nibble, as i was out there raking the weeds up. Goats ate it all. i'm not so worried about them. They eat all kinds of toxic stuff the horses can't. BUt luckily i have a few bales of the good. and i bagged some of it and have the feed store coming to bring it back. If they can't identify it, confirming its ok i told them i want all bales picked up and replaced. $11.95 a bale for this.
The version of milkweed in the woods by me has soft velvety stalks and the leaves soft, but not furry like this.
Next question is if a plant is toxic when its alive is it when its dead and baled like this? does it lose any toxicity? gain it?
Kathy i've called them before on other issues. I will try but since the hay is from the northeast or Canada, not sure how much help they can give.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Feb 7, 2007 - 6:18 am:
Jojo, you should post your photo's in a new discussion. However without the flowers or fruiting body of the plant it can be very difficult to accurately identify the plant. I agree the leaves too fuzzy for milkweed.
When you post reduce the size of the displayed image to less than 500px wide to prevent it from causing the page to lap over to the right, like those above.
Concerning the questions about toxicity following cutting and baling, most plants retain toxicity but these are poorly investigated properties.
DrO
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Member:
sonoita
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Posted on Wednesday, Feb 7, 2007 - 11:34 am:
I would take this to your extension office and they can tell you about it or find someone who can tell you. They are good people and a great resource
Happy Trails
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Member:
sonoita
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Posted on Wednesday, Feb 7, 2007 - 11:35 am:
And I do not know if you have pasture but you my not want that growing in them.
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Member:
vickiann
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Posted on Wednesday, Feb 7, 2007 - 7:24 pm:
jojo -- many of these weeds do NOT lose toxicity when dried or bailed. I wouldn't touch any of that for my horses.
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Member:
jojo15
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Posted on Wednesday, Feb 7, 2007 - 8:01 pm:
Sorry dr. o... i have a 21 inch monitor so my browser fits...  but i forget that standard size...
My horses ankles were a tad swollen this morning and more of a DrOopy lip... I called they came and picked up. gave them a bag of the stuff, let them worry about it. They took it back no question, so i figure others in the area were complaining too.
thanks all!
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