cattle and acorns

[Anonymous]

anyone know anything about cows eating to many acorn and it causing birth defects. Our neighbor lost a calf and the person that sold her the bred cows said that it's called foothill disease. I've been in the cow business for along time and I've never heard of such a thing. And if you have tell me where I can find the research.
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[Anonymous]

Which state are these cattle located in?<br>In the foothills Califorina and some parts of Western Nevada, where there is heavy brush, there exists "foothill abortion" which is caused by a tick. If it is present in other states I am unaware of it. <br> It occurs during summer months, with no vaccines available. Usually have to put open cows or replacement heifers in infested area during summer months prior to breeding. The cows/heifers will build an immune response by being bit by the tick.<p>
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[Anonymous]

Hello, cattle eating green acorns can get acorn <br>toxicity, from the tanin ( I believe) in the green acorns.<br>Recomend removing from area with great amount of acorns if<br>possible, have not heard of Foothill disease, but cattle will <br>get diarrhea, and waiste away on acorns as they will eat them <br>and nothing else and loose wheight. Acorns have no nutritional<br>value for the bovine. They can die from the starvation effects <br>or the tanin toxicity, but I have never heard of the birth defect<br>problems. You might just go to the library and look into acorn toxicity<br>in relation to the bovine.<br>
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[mark]

I found this old post and don't agree with the statement that acorns have no nutritional value to bovines.

Does anyone have any factual information regarding this subject?

 

[TREY-L]

I have not had a problem with this and approximately 1/3 of my cattle property is in Oaks and other hardwoods. I see my cattle eating ripe acorns quite often in the fall and winter, however, I don't see them eating many green acorns. My cows seem to really enjoy browsing in all the wooded areas, and they will just about take me down trying to get to some fresh cut Hackberry limbs with leaves on them.

 

[TexasBred]

Acorns do have nutritional value, however, eaten in excess can also be deadly. More risk than reward. Don't know why some cattle literally get addicted to the things but it happens. Maybe only one in your entire herd but she will waste away and die. Always amazed me that acorns will kill a cow but fatten a deer with no ill effects. :???:

 

[jcarkie]

i have seen them get sick from them, but it is not all cows just every once in awhile. mine eat them and scour the ground to find more. how can you keep them away from them, some people feed mineral with lime in it to keep them from getting sick. some people say that they get used to them and are more tolerant. facts are they eat them and fact is can get sick from them, i have always heard make sure they get plenty of fiber.

 

[TexasBred]

Don't know if there is a preventive. I've heard cottonseed meal helps out.. Course it's never a problem til you find a dead cow or half the herd starts loosing weight. Most folks I've talked to will only have 1 or 2 in the group eating the acorns.

 

[GMN]

I posted a bit on this and other items toxic to cattle, do a search. Acorns can be toxic to cows, they love to eat them, unfortunaltely they get plugged up in their stomach and intestines, and can be fatal.

GMN

 

[ctlbaron]

My brother in law had a cow down last week from too many acorns. Dobber her up tight. Poured 1/2 gallon of heavy mineral oil down her and got her up, walked her a while. About an hour later the back side of this cow was a danger zone. She could blow S#%t through a screen door at 10 paces. She's fine now.

 

[CowgirlSuz]

We lost 2 cows before we knew what was happening. They linger under trees eating acorns and start shrinking almost before your eyes. When they start arching their back to urinate, their kidneys are already shutting down and there's nothing you can do. I searched online and found that Acorn Posioning (Tannins) sickness starts 8-14 days after they start eating them. They have a poor appetite, dull, quick weight loss, constipation followed by profuse diarrhea, trouble urinating, dehydration, and after 3-7 days of clinical signs, goes down and cannot rise. If she doesn't die, it usually takes 2-3 weeks to recover. Animals with a low protein diet can't tollerate acorn posioning. Antidotes for "Tannins" is feed with hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide) and Protein. We didn't know anything about acorn poisoning, but we tried drenching our cows for dehydration, but they died. You can find a lot more information at: http://www.tamu.edu/ and search Acorn-Poisoning. I've read a lot about it since our cows died, but luckily haven't had any more cases.

 

[Cowdirt]

We lost 2 cows before we knew what was happening. They linger under trees eating acorns and start shrinking almost before your eyes. When they start arching their back to urinate, their kidneys are already shutting down and there's nothing you can do. I searched online and found that Acorn Posioning (Tannins) sickness starts 8-14 days after they start eating them. They have a poor appetite, dull, quick weight loss, constipation followed by profuse diarrhea, trouble urinating, dehydration, and after 3-7 days of clinical signs, goes down and cannot rise. If she doesn't die, it usually takes 2-3 weeks to recover. Animals with a low protein diet can't tollerate acorn posioning. Antidotes for "Tannins" is feed with hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide) and Protein. We didn't know anything about acorn poisoning, but we tried drenching our cows for dehydration, but they died. You can find a lot more information at: http://www.tamu.edu/ and search Acorn-Poisoning. I've read a lot about it since our cows died, but luckily haven't had any more cases.

CowgirlSuz, watch your cows when they urinate. All of my cows' kidneys must be shutting down. ;-)

 

[CowgirlSuz]

Maybe I should have said, "keeps arching their back to try to urinate, (straining) but nothing happens". Thanks for drawing this to my attention.