The Birds Nest
#781
07-07-2012, 06:20 AM
Mystery ahoof as U.S. cattle dying after eating grass
By Carey Gillam
DALLAS, Texas, June 26 | Tue Jun 26, 2012 5:28pm EDT
Mystery ahoof as U.S. cattle dying after eating grass | Reuters
(Reuters) - A mystery is ahoof in Texas farm country where cattle have dropped dead while grazing, puzzling scientists who say it appears an unusual combination of circumstances have turned pastures toxic.
Texas animal scientists said a type of grass known as "Tifton 85" bermuda grass is to blame for the poisoning of 15 head of cattle on an 80-acre ranch east of Austin. The animals went into convulsions and were dead within hours of being released into the pasture to graze. Only three cattle in that small herd survived.
"It's a bermuda grass that nobody every thought of as potentially having this problem," said Gary Warner, a cattle veterinarian in Elgin, Texas, who autopsied the animals.
"We don't know probably all we need to know currently. We do know the cattle died from prussic acid poisoning and we know the grass tested positive for prussic acid," said Warner. "It is the same as cyanide poisoning, the same as they used in the gas chambers in Germany."
Warner said drought conditions likely helped pre-dispose the field to this event. The grass in question was heavily fertilized with nitrogen but was not balanced with other needed compounds, which could have contributed to the development of the toxic grass, he said.
Because the Tifton 85 is planted broadly across Texas, agricultural officials around the state are scrambling to investigate the causes and what can be done to avoid more deaths. Other fields have reportedly tested positive for the poison, but no other cattle have died.
Larry Redmon, a state forage specialist with Texas A&M University, said in a blog posting that the situation was considered unprecedented.
The hybrid Tifton 85 bermuda grass was introduced by government plant breeders in 1992 and no problems like this have been reported before, scientists said.
In a separate incident in western Kansas, several calves on a drought-stricken ranch also succumbed suddenly to what investigators have determined to be liver toxicity.
Gregg Hanzlicek, director of Investigation Unit with the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Kansas State University, said Tuesday that investigators were blaming a Senecio species of weed that causes acute-to-chronic liver toxicity.
Cattle normally will avoid dangerous weeds, but drought had destroyed much of the normal grass in the area, said Hanzlicek.
"We to my knowledge have not seen this before. It is a really rare thing," he said.
By Carey Gillam
DALLAS, Texas, June 26 | Tue Jun 26, 2012 5:28pm EDT
Mystery ahoof as U.S. cattle dying after eating grass | Reuters
(Reuters) - A mystery is ahoof in Texas farm country where cattle have dropped dead while grazing, puzzling scientists who say it appears an unusual combination of circumstances have turned pastures toxic.
Texas animal scientists said a type of grass known as "Tifton 85" bermuda grass is to blame for the poisoning of 15 head of cattle on an 80-acre ranch east of Austin. The animals went into convulsions and were dead within hours of being released into the pasture to graze. Only three cattle in that small herd survived.
"It's a bermuda grass that nobody every thought of as potentially having this problem," said Gary Warner, a cattle veterinarian in Elgin, Texas, who autopsied the animals.
"We don't know probably all we need to know currently. We do know the cattle died from prussic acid poisoning and we know the grass tested positive for prussic acid," said Warner. "It is the same as cyanide poisoning, the same as they used in the gas chambers in Germany."
Warner said drought conditions likely helped pre-dispose the field to this event. The grass in question was heavily fertilized with nitrogen but was not balanced with other needed compounds, which could have contributed to the development of the toxic grass, he said.
Because the Tifton 85 is planted broadly across Texas, agricultural officials around the state are scrambling to investigate the causes and what can be done to avoid more deaths. Other fields have reportedly tested positive for the poison, but no other cattle have died.
Larry Redmon, a state forage specialist with Texas A&M University, said in a blog posting that the situation was considered unprecedented.
The hybrid Tifton 85 bermuda grass was introduced by government plant breeders in 1992 and no problems like this have been reported before, scientists said.
In a separate incident in western Kansas, several calves on a drought-stricken ranch also succumbed suddenly to what investigators have determined to be liver toxicity.
Gregg Hanzlicek, director of Investigation Unit with the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Kansas State University, said Tuesday that investigators were blaming a Senecio species of weed that causes acute-to-chronic liver toxicity.
Cattle normally will avoid dangerous weeds, but drought had destroyed much of the normal grass in the area, said Hanzlicek.
"We to my knowledge have not seen this before. It is a really rare thing," he said.
#785
07-07-2012, 09:20 PM
#787
07-09-2012, 07:01 AM
Woman warns of utility bill scam
Woman warns of utility bill scam | www.wsbtv.com
The Better Business Bureau and Georgia Power are warning people about a scam, promising that President Barack Obama will pay utility bills with a new federal grant.
Channel 2's Tony Thomas spoke to a Griffin woman who fell for the scam. Loneiyce Washington even introduced her friends to what she thought was a legitimate offer. They ended up getting scammed, too.
Washington said she thought Obama passed a law that provided credits to help her and others pay their utility bills, she told Thomas.
Investigators said the scammers ask for people's <del></del>Social Security numbers and bank routing numbers. The victims are then given a fake routing number to a bank and the money routed will go toward paying their utility bills. Washington thought after the money had been <del></del>routed, her bills had been paid. But that wasn't the case and she said she didn't have to give out her private information.
"I didn't think it was a scam because they are not asking for personal information," Washington said.
After falling for the scheme, she called her friends to tell them about it.
"I'm just apologizing about it. I hope they understand it was a mistake," Washington said.
Georgia Power also hopes their customers did not make the same mistake, according to a recording.
Georgia Power warns customers to hang up and call the phone number on their <del></del>utility bill if they receive a call from someone claiming to be their utility company.
Woman warns of utility bill scam | www.wsbtv.com
The Better Business Bureau and Georgia Power are warning people about a scam, promising that President Barack Obama will pay utility bills with a new federal grant.
Channel 2's Tony Thomas spoke to a Griffin woman who fell for the scam. Loneiyce Washington even introduced her friends to what she thought was a legitimate offer. They ended up getting scammed, too.
Washington said she thought Obama passed a law that provided credits to help her and others pay their utility bills, she told Thomas.
Investigators said the scammers ask for people's <del></del>Social Security numbers and bank routing numbers. The victims are then given a fake routing number to a bank and the money routed will go toward paying their utility bills. Washington thought after the money had been <del></del>routed, her bills had been paid. But that wasn't the case and she said she didn't have to give out her private information.
"I didn't think it was a scam because they are not asking for personal information," Washington said.
After falling for the scheme, she called her friends to tell them about it.
"I'm just apologizing about it. I hope they understand it was a mistake," Washington said.
Georgia Power also hopes their customers did not make the same mistake, according to a recording.
Georgia Power warns customers to hang up and call the phone number on their <del></del>utility bill if they receive a call from someone claiming to be their utility company.
#788
07-10-2012, 10:17 PM
<embed flashvars="playerVars=autoPlay=no" src="http://www.metacafe.com/fplayer/330109/george_carlin_common_experiences.swf" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" name="Metacafe_330109" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="440" height="248">George Carlin - Common Experiences - The best video clips are right here
#793
07-15-2012, 04:20 PM
