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Farm practice

Bracken poisoning

02 May 2023
Farm Practice
12 mins read
02 May 2023
Volume 28 · Issue 3
Figure 1. Bracken fern, one of the world's most abundant plants. It produces (a) lush green growth that can poison livestock, and (b) becomes dry and brown in summer, which is also toxic.
Figure 1. Bracken fern, one of the world's most abundant plants. It produces (a) lush green growth that can poison livestock, and (b) becomes dry and brown in summer, which is also toxic.

Abstract

Bracken (Pteridium species) is an ancient, large and very widespread fern that has long been recognised as poisonous. It contains several toxic compounds including ptaquiloside and thiaminase. Bracken toxicosis manifests as different clinical syndromes in different animals. Cattle develop an acute haemorrhagic syndrome leading to widespread haemorrhage and death. With more chronic ingestion enzootic bovine haematuria occurs, which is characterised by tumours of the upper alimentary tract and urinary bladder. Sheep also develop acute haemorrhage syndrome and cancer, but chronic bracken ingestion causes retinal neuropathy, which can lead to permanent blindness. Bracken toxicosis in monogastric animals such as pigs is because of an induced avitaminosis B1. Diagnosis of bracken toxicosis is based on clinical signs, history of exposure and characteristic findings at postmortem. In cattle and sheep the clinical syndromes are progressive and humane euthanasia is usually necessary in animals with advanced disease. In pigs with bracken toxicosis signs are often non-specific and lead to sudden death, but supplementation with thiamine can be effective.

Bracken is one of the world's most abundant plants and has long been recognised as poisonous. It contains several toxic compounds and causes differing syndromes in animals. This article discusses bracken poisoning in cattle, sheep and pigs.

Bracken (Pteridium species) (Figure 1) is a genus of ancient, large coarse ferns. It is a very common and widespread plant that grows throughout the world (except where it is very cold or very dry). It is found in woods, heaths, sand dunes, neglected pastures, hedgerows, moors and even in walls, and is often dominant over large areas of light well-drained acid soils. It is found throughout Britain and Ireland, and is occasionally cultivated in gardens and parks. Bracken has large, highly divided leaves with rhizomes from which the fronds arise at intervals. In the past, the genus was commonly treated as a single species, Pteridium aquilinum, but it is now subdivided into about ten species.

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poisoning
bracken
Pteridium
toxicology