Could it be in my hay ? :
YES, it is possible.
According to UF it is possible to contaminate hay or be spread by hay. Though, it is VERY low lying and not likely to be cut by balers... it is also a vine and often becomes entangled in grasses as they're baled. So, you do want to be sure to keep an eye out for the vine with alternate leaf pattern and seed pods in your hay as this is one way the weed can spread to new places. It looks a lot like it's familiar cousin, Alfalfa, when dried. Unfortunately, it grows readily from seeds AND clippings so, this would be a method of transfer to your land through your animal's digestive tract.
Currently, CI has not been studied specifically to have a definitive answer on how much needs to be consumed to cause illness.
Indospicine (the most deadly toxin in Creeping Indigo) is a CUMULATIVE toxin. Which means, that it attaches to the animals tissues and does not pass through their bodies like alcohol per say. Therefore, it builds to deadly levels over a LIFETIME. The toxins continue to break down tissues once inside their body- even after removal from the weed.
According to UF it is possible to contaminate hay or be spread by hay. Though, it is VERY low lying and not likely to be cut by balers... it is also a vine and often becomes entangled in grasses as they're baled. So, you do want to be sure to keep an eye out for the vine with alternate leaf pattern and seed pods in your hay as this is one way the weed can spread to new places. It looks a lot like it's familiar cousin, Alfalfa, when dried. Unfortunately, it grows readily from seeds AND clippings so, this would be a method of transfer to your land through your animal's digestive tract.
Currently, CI has not been studied specifically to have a definitive answer on how much needs to be consumed to cause illness.
Indospicine (the most deadly toxin in Creeping Indigo) is a CUMULATIVE toxin. Which means, that it attaches to the animals tissues and does not pass through their bodies like alcohol per say. Therefore, it builds to deadly levels over a LIFETIME. The toxins continue to break down tissues once inside their body- even after removal from the weed.