Browse, Pods and Acorns.

[andybob]

To what extent do cattle farmers/ranchers rely on cattle browsing and feeding on seed pods or acorns for late season feeding? What are the drawbacks E.G. tannin content of acorns. We relied on our cattle browsing on Acacia leaves and twigs at between 4% and6% crude protien and pods at 19% C.P. for Acacia Tortillis or16% C.P. for Dichrostachys Cinerea pods, during the winter months and wondered if there is any parallel feed in the U.S.A ?

The hurrier I am, the behinder I get!

 

[1848]

Acorns can be deadly, and cause abortions if eaten in large quanities. I never rely on browsing to keep my cows in forage. If they browse in addition to grazing, it is up to them, but most will choose grass over leaves and pods anyday. I will purposly try to keep cows off pastures with woods and acorns when there is no other good forage available. Cows like acorns and once they aquire the taste they can gorge on them.

Here is a link which addresses acorn Toxicity. Hope it helps

http://www.caf.wvu.edu/~forage/acorns/acorns.htm

 

[Caustic Burno]

Acorns can be deadly, and cause abortions if eaten in large quanities. I never rely on browsing to keep my cows in forage. If they browse in addition to grazing, it is up to them, but most will choose grass over leaves and pods anyday. I will purposly try to keep cows off pastures with woods and acorns when there is no other good forage available. Cows like acorns and once they aquire the taste they can gorge on them.

Here is a link which addresses acorn Toxicity. Hope it helps

http://www.caf.wvu.edu/~forage/acorns/acorns.htm

We leave the White Oak and Cow Oak also known here as Swamp White Oak trees in the pasture as they are ok to eat, Pin Oak and Live Oak will kill cows due to tannic acid.

 

[dun]

The problem I see with pods is they had better be something you want scattered and growing all over the pasture.
Acorns can poison but it takes a pretty good number and not much else to dilute them to be a problem.

dun

 

[andybob]

Thank you all for your imput, I have a book to identify local trees, but cannot find information on toxicity,etc. I have been offered an 80 acre fenced field next to where I am fencing, and as there are oaks present, I thought I should get some advise! At times like this I realise how far I am from what used to be home!

The hurrier I am,the behinder I get!

 

[cypressfarms]

Thank you all for your imput, I have a book to identify local trees, but cannot find information on toxicity,etc. I have been offered an 80 acre fenced field next to where I am fencing, and as there are oaks present, I thought I should get some advise! At times like this I realise how far I am from what used to be home!

The hurrier I am,the behinder I get!

All oaks have tannic acid. Walnuts have a chemical called juglone that is toxic, and cherry trees can be hard on animals as well.

Andybob, one quick way to tell if an oak tree is a white oak or red oak is by the tips of the leaves. Most white oaks have rounded tips, most red oaks have pointed tips. Not true in all cases (pin/water oak have leaves shaped like a hot air ballon), but it's a quicky. There is a third group of oaks (live), but they aren't widespread unless your in the south or Mexico.

There are some cattlemen down here who let there cows "go to the woods" for the winter. Personally, I don't think it's a good idea, but to each their own.