Unfortunate Loss

Last night, went to feed the cows still out in the pasture their hay. I noticed that my best cow was not with the rest of the herd. She is never one to miss a meal and I thought that it was funny she was not with the other cows. But, sometimes one or two might go off by themselves so I just thought maybe she was off by herself. This morning when we went over to feed hay again, she was still not with the rest of the cows and I knew something had to be wrong. We drove around the field and around the woods and didn't see her. As soon as we looked down a hill in the next field over, there she was....dead. She was laying right in between two trees that had little red berries. It looked as if she had just collapsed right there. We assume that the berries poisoned her. She always loved to eat leaves off of trees. She was my best shorthorn cow.  It seems like things always have to happen to the best ones! The rest of the cows have been locked out of that pasture so they do not end up that way also.

Has anyone else lost any from being poisoned?

I just lost a cow, and her "grandson" last Sunday. Not from being poisoned. They both had to be put down. The cow from old age, bad stifle joints. The calf from a genetic disorder.
It was VERY hard to do. That cow produced many good calves. Paid for herself many times. You are right, it is so hard to lose a good one. She, and the calf were buried together, in a pasture they both loved to be in.
My condolences to you for your loss.

I'd take samples of the berries to your extension office or local ag college.
I'm sure DL would say autopsy too.

so sorry for both of your losses.

Red

We had 2 calves die last year from algae poisoning. They both had the same symptoms, so we took a sample of the water and algae to the extension and they did a test. It was the "Blue-Green Algae"

So I would send a sample in and have it tested.

Sorry for your loss.   I have to agree with Red, get her autopsied.   If you have a university vet clinic within a reasonable distance, they usually do them free or for a minimal charge.     

We lost 3 cows one night last winter ...  they just dropped over dead or so it seemed.   It was during a time when this area was extremely active with goose hunters.   These cows were on stalks, amidst all the goose hunters - most of whom had no permission to be hunting.  The whole valley looked like a Cabella's parking lot.   We originally wondered if they had been shot.   However, the results of the autopsy showed that these cows died as the result of being held away from water all day (they wouldn't/couldn't come up to the tanks because of all the hunters) and then drinking massive quantities once they were able to drink... there was  a name for it..     Anyway, we were loading the dead cows onto a trailer to take to KState for the autopsy when some dude in brand new gear & brand new pickup with WY county tags asked if he & his buddies could hunt in the field.....   

DCC_Cattle said:

Last night, went to feed the cows still out in the pasture their hay. I noticed that my best cow was not with the rest of the herd. She is never one to miss a meal and I thought that it was funny she was not with the other cows. But, sometimes one or two might go off by themselves so I just thought maybe she was off by herself. This morning when we went over to feed hay again, she was still not with the rest of the cows and I knew something had to be wrong. We drove around the field and around the woods and didn't see her. As soon as we looked down a hill in the next field over, there she was....dead. She was laying right in between two trees that had little red berries. It looked as if she had just collapsed right there. We assume that the berries poisoned her. She always loved to eat leaves off of trees. She was my best shorthorn cow.  It seems like things always have to happen to the best ones! The rest of the cows have been locked out of that pasture so they do not end up that way also.

Has anyone else lost any from being poisoned?

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So very sorry.  Like the others responding here, I'd sure have her necropsied.  You'd wonder why she was the 'only' one to not only eat the berries, but also to die from eating them.  For sure, shutting off that pasture is a good move.  I've had friends lose cattle to pine needles in the high country in Wyoming.   Who'd ever think cows would eat pine needles but they do frequently and newbies don't realize they're lethal.  I'd be interested to know what a post shows, if you choose to have one done.     I need to clarify that the pine needles cause cows to abort.  They don't necessarily die from eating them.  Sorry!

Some extension offices have pdf files on the web of each poisonous plant and what it looks like for a specific state...I have the one for Indiana but not sure where your from.  Sorry about your cow...

I know Yew bushes are poisonous for cattle. Not sure what berry bush or tree would be also.

Red

I had my best donor who produced many great show heifers and a cow/calf pair I had just finished showing in a pasture and they were struck by lightning. That wasn't a fun discovery.

Sorry about your loss. It always seems to the best ones that something bad happens to.  (angel) (angel)

We already buried the cow. We are pretty sure that what she ate was the cause of her death. I looked in a vet book and there was a list of "cherry" trees that are poisonous and it said that they are not harmful until after they freeze and give off a toxic acid. The berries were pretty high off of the ground and she was an extra big cow who was always reaching up into trees all of the time. We went ahead and moved the cows home for the winter so nothing would happen to any of the rest of them! Thanks for the condolences!