Acorn Eaters

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hurleyjd

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Anyone have any acorn eaters. I have three, carried two to the vet today. Not much hope for them. Anyone know why some of the herd will take up acorn eating and some will not. Hard to find a pasture in East Texas without Oak trees.
 
hurleyjd":2y16byw6 said:
Anyone have any acorn eaters. I have three, carried two to the vet today. Not much hope for them. Anyone know why some of the herd will take up acorn eating and some will not. Hard to find a pasture in East Texas without Oak trees.
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Wish I had an answer Hurley but as you said some do...some don't. I've seen whole herds grazing and one old mama, as pour as a snake standing under an oak tree just waiting for the next acorn to fall. I don't know if it indicates a deficiency in something or if one just eats one and likes it....then she's hooked and more times than not going to kill herself without knowing it.
 
All of mine stop under a red oak tree daily to get the new bunch that hit the ground.
I have Post Oak, Live Oak, Water Oak. and Red Oak. The only one they eat is the red oak. Don't know if that makes any difference but none have ever been affected by them.
 
You might try this recipe for cattle eating acorns. I got it from an old county agent years ago.

600 lbs - ground alfalfa meal
1080 lbs - cottonseed meal
120 lbs - vegetable oil
200 lbs - calcium hydroxide (hydrated lime)
2000 lbs of mix

Feed 4 lbs per head per day
 
I ain't no vet, but I play one on my farm. Frankly, I've never had a case of "Acornitosis" or whatever it is despite the fact that my cows chow down on them every fall. I've always theorized that cows have to overdose on acorns in the absence of adequate grass forage in order to get sick. Mine eat acorns with stomachs full of roughage and I think that protects them. FYI, I have Water Oaks mostly.
 
Farmer Z":1bm8sjbg said:
I ain't no vet, but I play one on my farm. Frankly, I've never had a case of "Acornitosis" or whatever it is despite the fact that my cows chow down on them every fall. I've always theorized that cows have to overdose on acorns in the absence of adequate grass forage in order to get sick. Mine eat acorns with stomachs full of roughage and I think that protects them. FYI, I have Water Oaks mostly.
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Farmer Z that could be the answer. The only ones I've seen tho seem to reach a point to where all they care about IS the acorns and quit grazing or eating hay....that's when body condition goes to nothing overnight, manure becomes like water and they're dead before you know it. You're cattle probably aren't eating as many acorns as you think.
 

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