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Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin is alerting horse owners to
a problem that has occurred with some alfalfa hay from Michigan and the
upper Midwest. 

The hay may contain hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana), a weed that is toxic
to horses. 

?We have a report of 25 horses sickened from eating alfalfa hay from
Michigan that contained this plant.  The horses had swollen legs, fever
and some were showing signs of foundering,? said Commissioner Irvin.

?What is especially troubling is that the weed was practicically
invisible in the hay.  It was only after close investigation after the
horses got sick that the presence of this plant was found,? said Irvin.

Hoary alyssum has round stems and an alternate leaf pattern. (The leaves
are not directly opposite each other but appear alternately up the stem.)
Because the dried leaves are fragile, most of them will have fractured
and become part of the alfalfa ?dust? in the bale.  The older stems may
have a purple blush.  Stems may have a slight fuzz or ?hoary? appearance.


?I urge all horse owners in Georgia to check their alfalfa hay and to
contact their veterinarian if they see any problems with their horses,?
said Irvin.

Hoary alyssum is native to Europe and naturalized throughout much of the
northern U.S.  For more information, horse owners can refer to ?Hoary
Alyssum: Toxicity to Horses, Forage Quality and Control? from the
University of Minnesota at:
www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/livestocksystems/DI5567.html.

Angie McGhee
http://www.lightersideofendurance.com


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