Can you graze cattle in fields where their is fescue?

[cedarview farms]

Can you graze cattle in fields where their is fescue? because i have heard that their is a chemical in fescue that is harmful to cattle but will they just eat around it if they are in the a fescue field?

 

[kenny thomas]

The toxicity in fescue is mostly in the seedhead. It can cause a rise in temp which seems to cause other problems. As far as them eating it most will eat it before they other plants. Some cows have problems while on it some don't. Keep the seedheads mowed off and it will help. Out of 600 acres on my farms 599 have fescue in them. Very good grass to stockpile for the winter. Keeps very well through the winter.

 

[dun]

If you couldn;t graze fescue there wouldn;t be any cows in Missorui or a lot of other states in the fescue belt. Except for some of the newer cultivars, fescue (KY31) has an endophyte that is toxic. I think it's ergovalin. Although the majority of it is concentrated in the seed head when it's got seeds, it's in the entire plant. Search these boards for "endophyte" and you'll find more informaiton then you can absorb about it.

 

[mnmtranching]

We have areas of Blue Fescue. I don't like it because of poor yield. Cows would rather eat weeds. It is OK stockpiled and cows go after it pretty good once the other grasses and clovers stop growing.
Dun, what kinds of Fescue are you familiar with? Do you have Blue?

 

[dun]

We have areas of Blue Fescue. I don't like it because of poor yield. Cows would rather eat weeds. It is OK stockpiled and cows go after it pretty good once the other grasses and clovers stop growing.
Dun, what kinds of Fescue are you familiar with? Do you have Blue?

The only common fescuer is KY31 tall fescue. Some of the shorter stuff may be in lawns but unless it's one of the newer novel or endophyte free ones (which there isn;t much of) it's just plain KY31 high endophyte fescue

 

[BARNSCOOP]

We graze alot of it in Tennessee. We see more problems with it in horses than cattle. It causes less milk and a thick afterbirth(bag). After the serious drought we had for two years ,more people are looking into a warm season grass to grow with it as it peaks in May here. I have read about the extremes that can happen to due grazing it but have never personally see them. Blue fescue is more of an ornamental grass.