| Summary: | gold-withy Poisonous weed blamed for death of cattle The co-ordinator of the Cape Shore Area Development Association said yesterday that about 20 head of the cattle brought to St. Bride's from western Canada earlier this year died after eating a local poisonous weed. Earlier in the week, W.C. Parkinson, assis- tant deputy minister of the department of rural, agriculture and northern development, was quoted as saying the cattle had died because adequate provision was not made for proper management and feed. The group of Saskatchewan farmers which brought the 130 cattle to the area in August made arrangements with the Cape Shore Development Association, which operates the community pasture at St. Bride's, for the cat- tle to be held at the pasture. Parkinson said it appeared as if "absolutely no provision was made for winter feeding." But Tom Power, co-ordinator of the area development association said the cause of death had been attributed to a local weed, known as "lambkill, in the books" and known locally as "gouldwoody," or "gouldberry." "Usually only young lambs eat it in the spr- ing of the year," he said. "We've had some in- stances of local cattle eating it, and they get sick and lose co-ordination." Asked why only the Saskatchewan cattle had died, Power explained the cattle pro- bably didn't have the same resistance to the plant as the local cattle, since they had no previous exposure to it and weren't familliar with the side-effects. Power denied reports that the cattle had starv- ed to death, pointing out that "they have been given grain and high energy blocks." Some of the 20 dead cattle, valued at $1,000 each, were first discovered on Dec.15. Power said cause of death was determined after autopsies had been performed on the car- casses. In order to avert further deaths, said Power, the cattle were moved from the area on Dec. 20, to another part of the community pasture where the weed isn't growing. JAN 12 1982 Used I and Sup Used I and Sup 1 Not used
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