Grazing headed out wheat

[kentuckyguy]

I have tried to find out if grazing headed out wheat can cause any problems with cattle. I know it can cause horses to have some mouth problems. I planted a couple acres as a cover crop on my garden last fall. I was planning to let the cows graze it down before tilling it up and planting sweet corn.

Is there anything to worry about?

 

[Lee VanRoss]

Number of head could be a factor .......

 

[Lee VanRoss]

Head of cattle that is.... sorry

 

[kentuckyguy]

I was just planning on turning 5 8 mo th old heifers in on it. They are in the pasture closest to it.

 

[Walking W]

Is there a possibility of grain overload/acidosis? I let my small grains( wheat , oats, triticale) pasture go to where it headed out. When I turned out my steers into it they went off their feed. I got them back on hay quickly and dosed them with probiotics. I don't know that's what happened but he signs were there. I could actually smell the difference in the breath of the animals. It was nearly a vinegar smell. After a couple of doses of probiotics and some lower carbohydrate feed, they recovered their appetite. I mowed down the pasture to get it back to producing leaves for grazing. https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/feeding-nutrition/grain-overload-acidosis-or-grain-poisoning-stock

 

[annmariemz23]

I have tried to find out if grazing headed out wheat can cause any problems with cattle. I know it can cause horses to have some mouth problems. I planted a couple acres as a cover crop on my garden last fall. I was planning to let the cows graze it down before tilling it up and planting sweet corn.

Is there anything to worry about?

I don't know about wheat, but I have had problems with rye awns. I had heard that they can cause sores in horses' mouths, and my friend showed me some from some hay we made having annual rye in it. Then I looked in the mouth of a pet cow who died, and sure enough she had the same sores. (not the cause of death.) I am now wondering about foxtails. The horses readily eat them but the cows leave them unless there is nothing else. I don't understand it about the rye. I thought it made very palatable hay.

 

[kentuckyguy]

Sounds like I'll just bush hog it down and plow it under. Probably be the best thing for the ground anyways.

 

[Silver]

P

I have tried to find out if grazing headed out wheat can cause any problems with cattle. I know it can cause horses to have some mouth problems. I planted a couple acres as a cover crop on my garden last fall. I was planning to let the cows graze it down before tilling it up and planting sweet corn.

Is there anything to worry about?

I would think it would depend on if the wheat was awnless (beardless) or not.

 

[ccr]

So if it's awnless it would be ok to graze?

 

[kentuckyguy]

It is just cover crop wheat. It is awned.