14. SMCO toxicity (aka kale anaemia, red water) in ruminant species

Forage brassicas are simply an amazing, low cost feed for our ruminant species.

Over 300,000 ha of brassicas are planted in New Zealand annually and thankfully, animal health disorders are not particularly common despite the huge numbers of animals that eat brassicas each year.

Very occasionally, grazing animals might experience an animal health disorder called SMCO toxicity. SMCO is a non-protein sulphur-nitrogen compound that sometimes accumulates in brassica crops and brassica weed species. Most cases of SMCO toxicity are seen when animals graze forage brassica crops during late winter and early to mid spring (August, September, October in New Zealand) when plants are undergoing fresh growth and reproductive development with increasing daylength and warmer, spring days. Cases present with signs associated with haemolytic anaemia, including red water (red coloured urine).

Presented by New Zealand veterinarian and nutritionist Dr Charlotte Westwood, this podcast takes us through all you ever wanted to know about SMCO toxicity. Because prevention is better than cure, the podcast focuses specifically on how to reduce risk of SMCO toxicity in your grazing animals.

You can scroll through and find subheadings within this podcast  as follows:

• Introduction to SMCO toxicity in ruminants: 2.32
• What is SMCO and how is the animal affected? 5.00
• Can we forage test for SMCO in brassicas? 13.00
• What role does copper and selenium status of animals play in SMCO toxicity? 17.45
• Clinical signs of SMCO toxicity? 21.15
• Other causes of red water confused with SMCO toxicity. 28.10
• Onion and SMCO toxicity – what’s the link? 30.50
• Why is SMCO toxicity more likely late winter / spring? 32.30
• Grazing and feeding management of crops suspected contain high SMCO. 36.30
• Why do brassicas contain SMCO and what soil and fertiliser-based factors influence SMCO accumulation by brassicas? 46.05