I was thinking of over seeding my pasture with red or white clover this coming spring. Do I run a risk of cows getting bloat from to much clover. It looks like white clover has more protien would it be a better choice then red?
Clover and Bloat
- Thread starter S.R.R.
- Start date
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rwtherefords
Well-known member
I overseeded with white clover a couple of years ago. In Tennessee the pastures are usually fescue, so my clover fescue mix works well. My cattle are rotated between pastures that all contain the same clover/fescue forage and bloat has never been an issue for me.
HatCreekFan
Well-known member
We have one field that the clover has simply gone nuts in. Great for deer, but scary for us! When we turn the cows in that field we make sure they're not too hungry, and that it's not too tall. We have even had to clip it before we turn them in on it. That was what our feed guy told us to do...works for us.
johndeerefarmer
Well-known member
If arrowleaf will grow in your area, use it. I have never had a cow bloat on arrowleaf.
woodspirit
Member
I've read that cows never get bloat on birdsfoot trefoil.
frenchie
Well-known member
S.R.R.":3awzg2oa said:
Yes ..
Make sure you put them cows out full .And perhaps just an hr 2x a day the first few days.
It also helps if you rotational graze to keep them out of the regrowth with a hot wire.
woodspirit
Member
Another tip I've heard is to feed them hay, (Dry matter) first before putting them out on clover and not to let them graze clover if is wet from dew or rain.
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
S.R.R.":2y26lxvx said:
White has less stem than red - - thus more protein and more bloat potential. White handles short rest periods and short residuals better than red. Red can produce more tonnage if you manage it right.
The best choice depends on the type of existing grass and how you manage the grazing rotations.
NorCalFarms
Well-known member
I am curious as to why you would want to overseed clover. After having a grass/clover mix, I have gone to straight grass. The most important thing is I can sleep at night, and not worry about whether or not the cows or calves will bloat. I have had problems with cattle bloating on several kinds of clover and alfalfa, in a mix with fescue. Never had one bloat with straight grass, and it makes weed control so much easier. I rotationally graze everything.
The other thing I have against clover is that in this area anway (high elevation, everything irrigated) is I can push grass to produce almost twice the tonnage/acre of clover. Granted that takes quite a bit of Nitrogen fertilizer, but it is a lot better than having to get 2x the pasture. Properly fertilized and grazed right straight grass works for me and the calves are just as heavy.
The other thing I have against clover is that in this area anway (high elevation, everything irrigated) is I can push grass to produce almost twice the tonnage/acre of clover. Granted that takes quite a bit of Nitrogen fertilizer, but it is a lot better than having to get 2x the pasture. Properly fertilized and grazed right straight grass works for me and the calves are just as heavy.
woodspirit":1w8co7zb said:
I don't have a lot of experience with clover and I was just wondering why it would make a difference, as far as bloat is concerned, if the clover was wet from rain or dew? Thanks!
NorCalFarms":zofgem65 said:
There are usaully two primary reasons and one secondary for over seeding clovers.
The clover provides higher proteion then grass and it helps to mitigate the affects of the endophyte in clover and decreases the "summer slump" syndrome as well as helping to keeping the cattles temperature lower during the hot summer. The secondary reason is for fertility, i.e. nitorgen fixation. If clover is a significant portion of their regular diet while on pasture there is very little chance of bloat as long as it isn;t the primary foarge and the cows are adapted to having it as part of the forage mix.
dun
NorCalFarms
Well-known member
dun":3ibdnx72 said:
I always have the option, being an alfalfa hay grower to supplement with alfalfa if I thought the grass wasn't giving them enough protien. Even at $150/ton it is cheaper than a dead animal. We also plant endophyte free fescue seed, to no toxicity problems. Our temperatures stay low enough in the summer, with a shot of 100 units or so of N around the 4th of July we never see the "summer slump", and it helps keep the protein up. I have seen that clover is a lot more drought resistant, if I had to have dryland pasture I am guessing we would be planting clover.
Some of this grass will start to show moisture stress if it isn't irrigated every 10 days in the summer. That can get old.
NorCalFarms, when you say you give an injection of "N," what is it that you are giving?
J&T Farm
Well-known member
I believe he means 100 lbs of nitrogen to the acre.
NorCalFarms
Well-known member
Yes, I guess I should rethink my vocabulary before I type. :shock:
I mean applying some Nitrogen fertilizer, usually Am. Sulfate, sometime Urea though the water, all depends on price. N is getting more expensive all the time.
I mean applying some Nitrogen fertilizer, usually Am. Sulfate, sometime Urea though the water, all depends on price. N is getting more expensive all the time.
I don't know why I wasn't catching on. I thought you had something going on that I had not heard of. Thanks for clearing that one up.
PATB
Well-known member
If I was going to seed in clover I would use white clover because it stands grazing better then red. The trick with clover is to keep it about 35 percent or less of the pasture mix. If you are pastureing the clover after a frost that is when you need to be real careful with about bloat. The only animal we have lost to bloat was a 13 year cow that just calved and got into a pasture with frosted clover that was still frozen.
Dun, what is in clover that keeps their tempature down? That is another added benefit that I didn't know about.
