Cattle and woods

[chippie]

It's up to you what you want to do. I would make sure that the cattle have some other type of forage such as hay 24/7. A friend who lives on the East Coast almost lost a horse due to acorns. The horse had been pastured there for years. There was a bumper crop of acorns and he pigged out. His kidney's shut down and it was touch and go. She had BIG vet bill after it was all over. She didn't have any problems with her other horses, however she now keeps them off of it when the acorns fall.

 

[Goodlife]

They are indeed white oaks. Sounds like timing. I am making 4 paddocks for grazing. I will use this one for some summer rotation but kerp them off this one in october and november till the avorns start to rot. Thanks for the good info.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I got every kind of oak you can think of in my bottom, my pasture's are full of white oaks. When I was clearing the pastures I left every white oak. It is tanic acid that get's the bovine here it is live oaks that are high in tanic acid.
Might be different from region to region.

 

[TexasBred]

I got every kind of oak you can think of in my bottom, my pasture's are full of white oaks. When I was clearing the pastures I left every white oak. It is tanic acid that get's the bovine here it is live oaks that are high in tanic acid.
Might be different from region to region.

Yessir they all have it..Some a little more than others as the acorn is also much larger. Cattle usually don't eat many unless they're really hungry and have a severe protein shortage but if one does get hooked on them they'll literally stand under the tree waiting on the next one to fall, lose weight quickly and have manure thats little more than brown water and a few acorn hulls. Seems squirrel and deer take care of a huge % of them around here before the cattle even notice. Was really surprised to see the live oaks around here are hanging heavy with acorns this year. Didn't check the post oaks.

 

[dun]

I got every kind of oak you can think of in my bottom, my pasture's are full of white oaks. When I was clearing the pastures I left every white oak. It is tanic acid that get's the bovine here it is live oaks that are high in tanic acid.
Might be different from region to region.

Yessir they all have it..Some a little more than others as the acorn is also much larger. Cattle usually don't eat many unless they're really hungry and have a severe protein shortage but if one does get hooked on them they'll literally stand under the tree waiting on the next one to fall, lose weight quickly and have manure thats little more than brown water and a few acorn hulls. Seems squirrel and deer take care of a huge % of them around here before the cattle even notice. Was really surprised to see the live oaks around here are hanging heavy with acorns this year. Didn't check the post oaks.

Up here it's only the posts that have any. None of the whites or even the red oak family. The few on the posts are smaller then the blackjacks usually are.

 

[MichaelB]

As to the economics of fencing the woods, I wouldn't spend a lot on this since branches will tear down a five strand fence just as easily as one strand of high tensile electric but with the electric you can test the wire to see if anything is wrong rather than having to hike.

Thanks for validating why I don't think putting stock fence along the far end my property would be a good idea.

 

[TexasBred]

Rode over and checked some of the big post oaks scattered in one pasture . They are loaded with big acorns even after this drought we have been going thru. Trying to guarantee the survival of the species I suppose.