Ergot bodies result from Claviceps Purpurea fungus inflecting the grain. This can infect over 200 species of grasses throughout the country including wheat, barley, oats, brome grass and wheatgrass.

Ergot is a toxic fungus that infects the seed heads of many grasses and some cereal grains. It can cause severe illness and even death in livestock, especially cattle, and possibly horses, Evans says.

University of Missouri livestock and forage specialists are reporting ergot infestations that can cause major losses in ...

The ergot fungus produces toxic compounds called ergot alkaloids that affect the small arteries of cattle. Extremities are most often affected, causing loss of the tips of ears and tail.

Farmers and ranchers in southwest Missouri are being urged to monitor livestock after ergot, a fungus that can be deadly for cattle, has been spotted in several hayfields and pastures. Ergot is an ...

ergot By University News Release August 6, 2014 Get out in your fields prior to harvesting hay and scout for deadly ergot. By: David Burton, University of Missouri Extension Ergot has been ...

ST. LOUIS (AP) _ Farmers and ranchers in southwest Missouri are being urged to monitor livestock after ergot, a fungus that can be deadly for cattle, has been spotted in several hayfields and pastu… ...

Ergot poisoning is unlikely to be fatal but because it can make cattle less tolerant of heat, they can be more susceptible to death from excessive heat. If they are removed from the source of the ...

Ergot contains a number of alkaloids that are harmful to both livestock and cattle, with hallucinations one of symptoms. Some experts link ergot-infected rye to the Salem Witch Trials.

They make it hard for cattle to sweat and pant, essential tasks to rid their bodies of heat. Third, ergot alkaloids delay shedding by lowering prolactin.

In southwest Missouri, cattle seem to start the stripping by mid- to late May. As the plant matures, they reduce their interest in the seed. Consequently, a management tool MU Extension ...

Cattle producers should be on the lookout for ergot, a fungus in grasses that causes circulatory problems in livestock that consume them. Ergot has been confirmed in several surrounding states ...