Beth Ellen Doran, Beef Specialist reminds producers that A plant’s metabolism and composition are changed with freezing temperatures and forage quality is reduced.  But there may be more serious effects.

Prussic Acid Poisoning

Plants that contain cyanogenic glucoside, such as forages in the sorghum family, produce larger amounts of cyanide (prussic acid) when damaged by frost.  Prussic acid interferes with oxygen utilization and can cause animal to die from asphyxiation.  Symptoms include staggering, difficulty breathing, foaming or salivation at the mouth, falling, and convulsions.  This can lead to animal death in minutes.

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