kenny thomas said:
TennesseeTuxedo said:
kenny thomas said:
Here is a link Red Bull Breeder sent me about fescue. Even though I promote it all the time I still learned something.
www.bovinevetonline.com/article/endopyte-infected-fescue-and-ergot-right-schedule?fbclid=IwAR1lsLtId9-qo4qKhakwC9grY2nIuba776S_RHwndOQU__6wNKYlGAuqxyg
What did you learn?
I learned that the rat turd stuff I was seeing is not the toxic part. It is inside the plant and has to be identified under a microscope.
Did you learn anything?
You did not read it clearly. The ergot, which is the rat turds, does the same thing as the ergovalene in the leaf (which we can not see) Quoted from the article":
"
Both are associated with fescue and both produce ergot alkaloids which cause vasoconstriction or reduced blood flow throughout the animal's body.
"
The difference is, ergot is highly visible in the seedhead while the endophyte fungus is only visible after staining and looking for it under a microscope. It is called an endophyte because it grows inside the plant."
Eldon Cole, who wrote the article, is our extension specialist for beef cattle. There was a recent newsletter that went out about concerns for our hay put up this year. It is mostly late, and contains the seeds that look like rat turds, in ABUNDANT amounts. This will cause more problems with fescue sensitive animals this winter when fed.
https://hayandforage.com/article-1276-keep-spring-seedheads-under-control.html
Quoted from this article: "Most tall fescue in the central portion of the eastern U.S. is infected by the fungal endophyte, and
the seedhead is one of the best sources of the toxins produced. Mature seedheads of any grass are also a possible source of toxin from ergot,
which is a fungus that can infect the seedhead, being even more toxic than the fescue endophyte. "
I think Eldon was mearly pointing out that we can SEE the toxin in the seedheads, we CAN NOT see the toxin in the grass.