Mystery of 200 Dead Cows in Wisconsin Solved

[redhen]

Chicken.Lytle :

Quote:
Actually, yes. In Ben Green's book, "The Village Horse Doctor: West of the Pecos" he describes a similar situation with roots growing wild on a mountainside being grazed upon and killing livestock, I believe they were either cows or sheep and I am trying to recall, and I think the roots were wild potatoes. This book was published 60-70 years ago. So I'm sure there's a good possibility here. I have heard that one should never reheat baked potatoes for humans to eat because the double cooking can release a poison that can kill humans, so I sure do think there is something to this.

I love twice-baked potatoes. I thought it was sprouted potatoes that were toxic.​

Yes, i think thats it.
Twice baked taters are yum.... toss in some cheese and bacon... nom nom nom...
I think its the sprouts that are bad .. and also the green peels..

 

[justbugged]

I have reheated potatoes many times. I always make extra baked potatoes to fry up in the morning. The "toxin" is in the vines and skin if it turns green. The odds of being able to actually killing a person is very small. My understanding is that the vines are very bitter, and would not be tasty. The eyes of the potato is considered part of the vine so it should be discarded. If I peel the potatoes I always give the chickens the peelings.

 

[Mahonri]

Off to eat some old sweet potatoes.

Let's see if I'm still here in the morning.....


Moo

 

[A.T. Hagan]

A minute of Googling found this:

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/29/mystery-of-200-dead-cows-in-wisconsin-solved/
"It is likely that a mycotoxin from moldy sweet potato was a major factor in the disease and deaths of these steers," said Peter Vanderloo, associate director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20110128...ath_of_200_wisconsin_cows_blamed_on_bad_spuds
Apparently, decaying sweet potatoes produce a toxin called ipomeanol, which is poisonous to animals. The Portage County cows were supposedly fed sweet potatoes in their forage, which likely contained this toxic potato waste product. Samplings of the cows' feed revealed evidence of the mycotoxin.

"Based on history, clinical signs, changes in tissue and test results from our lab and a referral laboratory, it is likely that a mycotoxin from moldy sweet potato was a major factor in the disease and deaths of these steers," explained Peter Vanderloo, associated director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in an official statement on Friday.

Local officials insist that the spoiled sweet potatoes were never part of the human food supply chain and that the ruined produce poses not human health risk.

Cows have been known to die from eating spoiled sweet potatoes in the past

Many similarly shocking instances have been reported, in which multiple cows met their demise shortly after consuming decayed sweet potatoes.

"The Veterinary Record" reported ipomeanol poisoning in cattle consuming decaying sweet potatoes in England in 2007. Apparently, half a dozen Limousin-cross beef cattle perished on a farm in East Anglia, with their demises attributed to sweet potato poisoning.

Three cows died, and another was euthanized, in Brazil in 2003, becoming gravely ill within a day of eating moldy sweet potatoes. Necropsies of the dead cows revealed significant respiratory damage.

Two years later, in 2001, six more bovines perished in Brazil after consuming sweet potatoes that were damaged by myzys tersiucae and bore evidence of fungal infection. Several additional cows also became ill in the same incident.

Decaying sweet potatoes are commonly recognized by veterinary pathologists as a possible poison danger. This potential toxicity, which may cause respiratory disease or asphyxiation in cattle or other animals, has been publicized before. A group of scientists from North Carolina State University published an article in December 2003, documenting the effect of fermented sweet potatoes on mice.

Mississippi State University veterinary specialists have echoed the concerns over feeding moldy sweet potatoes to livestock, warning that pH instability of sweet potatoes can cause faster fermentation, leading to fungal infections, digestive problems, dental decay and overall toxicity.

Why would farmers add sweet potatoes to their cows' forage?

Sweet potatoes are readily available in agricultural regions (such as Wisconsin). These starches provide a tasty, easily digestible filler that extends the feedability of forage, particularly when regular feeds may be somewhat scarce. However, sweet potatoes must be used with caution and consumed before they are allowed to spoil.

The moral of the story is do not feed rotten sweet potatoes. Or anything else that is rotten to your cattle. Mycotoxins are bad news for everything.

 

[knjinnm]

Quote:
Actually a good friend lost three horse after they ate wild Iris.

 

[Rammy]

Quote:
What else are we supposed to believe? Do tell..

I just dont believe that potatoes killed the cows. If that were true, we would have alot more. Course, wild animals killed the cows that have no blood in thier bodies and have had thier reproductive organs neatly cut out as well as thier tongues and eyes. Not to mention they showed signs of blunt force trauma. And all those birds that fell from the sky? Yeah, sure, it was fireworks. Interesting they couldnt find any chemicals in the fish, only one species, that died. Personally, I believe its the government experimenting with agents to see how it affects living things at the DNA level. If the fireworks were the culprit, why hasnt this happened before? Why were eagles dropping from the sky in China when eagles dont fly in flocks? They were trying to get away from something. And did anyone notice that the birds falling seemed to follow a pattern? Started in one state and kept going to the east? and then started across the sea in Europe? Sorry, I think theres more to it than potatoes.


Rammy

 

[knjinnm]

Quote:
What else are we supposed to believe? Do tell..

I just dont believe that potatoes killed the cows. If that were true, we would have alot more. Course, wild animals killed the cows that have no blood in thier bodies and have had thier reproductive organs neatly cut out as well as thier tongues and eyes. Not to mention they showed signs of blunt force trauma. And all those birds that fell from the sky? Yeah, sure, it was fireworks. Interesting they couldnt find any chemicals in the fish, only one species, that died. Personally, I believe its the government experimenting with agents to see how it affects living things at the DNA level. If the fireworks were the culprit, why hasnt this happened before? Why were eagles dropping from the sky in China when eagles dont fly in flocks? They were trying to get away from something. And did anyone notice that the birds falling seemed to follow a pattern? Started in one state and kept going to the east? and then started across the sea in Europe? Sorry, I think theres more to it than potatoes.


Rammy

Yup, Yup If Rammy didn't see it, it didn't happen.

 

[Rammy]

Rammy

 

[tweetyflights]

i agree that the cows could of died from sweet potatoes but i don't beleive it was building or fireworks for ALL those birds and for those fish well who knows but something strange is happening. unless there are giant mutant green monkeys flying around killing everything in their path

.

 

[prairiehen74369]

I would not be surprised I had a greedy black cow that went down over night and nearly died because she got in the yard and pulled up a tulip bulb and all and ate it.

as for the birds i think the toradoes in that area had something to do with it.