Hungry cattle turn to acorns, face poisoning

[Caustic Burno]

TB I just walked in from the deer stand and my cows were packing acorn's like candy. Ground is covered in Swamp White Oak acorns. If acorns were that bad there would have never been a cow in East Texas survive every pasture from here to Fla is full of them.

I have an acorn rich pasture - never had a problem. This year, 4 bulls out of a group of 10 got all the symptoms. One dead. Had the dead one posted. All the symptoms. I'm a believer that 1. it's real, 2. it's random - doesn't affect all animals the same, 3. it's heavily dependent on the year/season, 4. not all animals will even eat the things, 5. It's a ticking time bomb - I could run that pasture another 10 years and never see a problem - then have another "acorn year" with "acorn cattle" and disaster. Good luck to you . . . . I'm changing my use of that pasture.

Again if my neighbors and I worried about acorns this place would be a desert. It is about tannic acid. We turn our cows in the woods to hustle before we have to start haying common practice here. For years people in the south didn't have pasture they ran cows in the woods. I am not saying that acorn's won't kill one. My place used to be part of the community pasture that everyone ran their cows in, there was no pasture just thousand's of acres of fenced woods. I cut pines off the place over 30 inches in diameter and oaks that were sixty to seventy feet to the first limb.
I am convinced that over the years if that you can loose one to a cause it will happen.

 

[ga.prime]

We have one english oak on our place (still small), is there any concern for us with just 1 oak tree??.. cows would only be around it in the springtime too...

My only concern would be that the cows would kill the tree.

 

[Ouachita]

Acorns are the reason I'm up at this early hour. I heard the sound of horses galloping outside my window. Found them in the woods behind the house eating acorns. My wife looks good in pajama pants and muck boots at 2am

 

[chippie]

I have an acorn rich pasture - never had a problem. This year, 4 bulls out of a group of 10 got all the symptoms. One dead. Had the dead one posted. All the symptoms. I'm a believer that 1. it's real, 2. it's random - doesn't affect all animals the same, 3. it's heavily dependent on the year/season, 4. not all animals will even eat the things, 5. It's a ticking time bomb - I could run that pasture another 10 years and never see a problem - then have another "acorn year" with "acorn cattle" and disaster. Good luck to you . . . . I'm changing my use of that pasture.

The same thing happened to a friend with a horse. Luckily the horse did not die. The horse had been in the same pasture for years. She got him as a weanling. When he was 8, the acorns almost killed him. Shut down his kidneys and it was touch and go.

 

[JSCATTLE]

I winter my cows in a logged pasture that the loggers left all the white oaks.. I've never had a problem .. as long as i can remember my grand pa and everyone in our area ran cows in the woods.. and the only grass was on the pipe lines and road ditches..maybe if the cows are raised in the environment they aren't as prone the acid... I know the deer eat most of them as soon as they hit the ground...

 

[Arkansas]

Would a cow eat an acorn if it is poisonous ? I mean they wouldnt know better to eat it ?

 

[dun]

Would a cow eat an acorn if it is poisonous ? I mean they wouldnt know better to eat it ?

Some will, some won;t. They don;t know it will kill them. After all, they'll eat plastic bags, twine, etc.

 

[Arkansas]

Would a cow eat an acorn if it is poisonous ? I mean they wouldnt know better to eat it ?

Some will, some won;t. They don;t know it will kill them. After all, they'll eat plastic bags, twine, etc.

Ahh, I thought it was like a natural instince that they have to know what will kill them etc..