QUESTION ABOUT TOXIC GRASS

Gather App
Inventry
UnlistMe
JHH

JHH

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 10, 2005
Messages
2,481
City & State/Province
Williamstown, MO (N.E.)
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT TOXIC GRASS.WHEN I WAS YOUNGER MY DAD TOLD ME TO GET THE COWS OUT OF THIS ONE PASTURE BEFORE THE FROST,SAID IF COWS ATE THE GRASS AFTER IT FROSTED THAT IT WOULD KILL THEM.
DOES ANYBODY MAYBE HAVE A CLUE AS TO WHAT KIND OF GRASS IT COULD BE.
 
Weber Hickory Wood Chunks Outdoor Cooking Fuel, 4 lb – Premium BBQ Smoking & Grilling Chips for Rich, Subtly Sweet Flavor – Ideal for Beef, Lamb, Poultry & Pork – Long Lasting
See price on Amazon
Weber Hickory Wood Chunks Outdoor Cooking Fuel, 4 lb – Premium BBQ Smoking & Grilling Chips for Rich, Subtly Sweet Flavor – Ideal for Beef, Lamb, Poultry & Pork – Long Lasting
Old Potters Smoker Wood Chunks 13-16 lbs for Grilling, Smoking, and Wood Fire Cooking ~ 2 x 3 Inches, (Hickory, 790 Cu in.)
See price on Amazon
Old Potters Smoker Wood Chunks 13-16 lbs for Grilling, Smoking, and Wood Fire Cooking ~ 2 x 3 Inches, (Hickory, 790 Cu in.)
Hickory Pizza Oven Wood 6 Inch, 15 lbs Box – Kiln Dried & Bark-Free Firewood for Pizza Ovens, BBQ Smoking & Grilling – Premium Hickory Wood Logs for Ooni, Gozney, Solo Stove, Bertello
See price on Amazon
Hickory Pizza Oven Wood 6 Inch, 15 lbs Box – Kiln Dried & Bark-Free Firewood for Pizza Ovens, BBQ Smoking & Grilling – Premium Hickory Wood Logs for Ooni, Gozney, Solo Stove, Bertello
Firewood Central Kiln-Dried PA Hickory – 8” Splits (Approx 39.5 lb) – Bold Smoking Wood for Pizza Ovens, BBQ & Fire Pits – Easy Light, Low Smoke, USA Sourced
See price on Amazon
Firewood Central Kiln-Dried PA Hickory – 8” Splits (Approx 39.5 lb) – Bold Smoking Wood for Pizza Ovens, BBQ & Fire Pits – Easy Light, Low Smoke, USA Sourced
Firewood Central Kiln-Dried PA Hickory – 6” Splits (Approx. 42 lb) – Bold Smoking Wood for Pizza Ovens, BBQ & Fire Pits – Easy Light, Low Smoke, USA Sourced
See price on Amazon
Firewood Central Kiln-Dried PA Hickory – 6” Splits (Approx. 42 lb) – Bold Smoking Wood for Pizza Ovens, BBQ & Fire Pits – Easy Light, Low Smoke, USA Sourced
Greenworks 24V 6in BL Pruning Saw w/Auto Oiler, Tool Only
See price on Amazon
Greenworks 24V 6in BL Pruning Saw w/Auto Oiler, Tool Only
Old Potters Kiln Dried Firewood - Cherry, 1100 Cu. in, 16-18 Logs ~ 8" x 2.5" Logs. Solo Stove and Cooking Wood for Grilling, Smoking, and Firepits, Cherry.
See price on Amazon
Old Potters Kiln Dried Firewood - Cherry, 1100 Cu. in, 16-18 Logs ~ 8" x 2.5" Logs. Solo Stove and Cooking Wood for Grilling, Smoking, and Firepits, Cherry.
Heritage Smoke Wood Hickory Pizza Oven Wood with Fire Starter - Kiln Dried Firewood 6" Hardwood Logs for Brick Fire Pizza Ovens & Grills, 6 lb, Low Smoke, High Heat, Competition-Grade Clean Burn
See price on Amazon
Heritage Smoke Wood Hickory Pizza Oven Wood with Fire Starter - Kiln Dried Firewood 6" Hardwood Logs for Brick Fire Pizza Ovens & Grills, 6 lb, Low Smoke, High Heat, Competition-Grade Clean Burn
39" Fire Pits with Wood Storage for Outside, Large Wood Burning Outdoor Fireplace with Chimney, Mesh Spark Screen & Fire Poker, Idea for Backyard, Patio, Party, Camping, Picnic
See price on Amazon
39" Fire Pits with Wood Storage for Outside, Large Wood Burning Outdoor Fireplace with Chimney, Mesh Spark Screen & Fire Poker, Idea for Backyard, Patio, Party, Camping, Picnic
Smoak Firewood Cooking Wood Mini Splits - USDA Certified Kiln Dried Pizza Oven Wood, Grilling Wood, Smoking Wood, BBQing Wood (8inch Pieces, 25-30lbs 1728 Cubic in - Hickory)
See price on Amazon
Smoak Firewood Cooking Wood Mini Splits - USDA Certified Kiln Dried Pizza Oven Wood, Grilling Wood, Smoking Wood, BBQing Wood (8inch Pieces, 25-30lbs 1728 Cubic in - Hickory)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change.
bobby22":1hypwbzq said:
has anybody ever heard of fescue grass eating the cows tails off.
Click to expand...

never heard it referred to that way, but what happens is the blood circulation is reduced. they can get in some terrible looking condition and it messes their feet up and some of them will lose their tail. it also elevates their body temperature...

jt
 
K 31 fescue around here is mostly all infected with an endopyhte fungus that causes what we call fescue foot. I've heard of tails, ears, and even had a neighbor claim he had a few cows lose their feet one real bad winter due to the decreased blood flow caused by the infected fescue. We try and keep it in check by keeping the pastures trimmed down as the endophyte is most prevelant in the stem and seed head. Been so dry this year tho' ain't many doing any kind of brush-hogging.

You can buy endopyte free fescue but killing off a good fescue stand here in the Ozarks is dang near imposssible and if you don't kill it all off before planting the endophyte free fescue it will just come back.

Regarding the toxic grass, I'd bet it's johnson grass. I've had folks tell me it's great forage and others kill it all off. Supposed to only be a problem when it's under stress. Someone once tried to explain what to look for in it when it was toxic but I've long since forgotten.

J
 
Welcome EIEIO: I really like your username. I note that you're yet another rancher from Missouri -- we Texans better get in gear and start recruiting some additional troops, lest the folks from Mo. soon outnumber us! :lol:
 
lolol arnold you think the missourians will over run us huh 1 thing about us is we are all cattleman scott
 
JHH -- If eating frost-killed bermuda caused cattle death there would be a helluva lot of dead cattle in Texas every year! Like Scott and others, I'd bet it was Johnson grass that you were told about, and there is definitely a danger of prussic acid poisoning with frost killed johnson grass. However, as I recall, the prussic poison dissipates over time; several weeks might be sufficient, but I'm not certain of that. The other type of poison encountered with Johnson grass is nitrate poison, which does not dissipate with time. In addition, you should be especially careful with Johnson grass, either for grazing or haying, if it has grown up during a drought stressed period (as well as related grass like Haygrazer, Sudan, Sudex, Sorghum Ellam, etc.). I don't know of any "eyeballing it" test that you can feel confident about. When I have had concerns about either of the mentioned poisons I've always just taken samples to the local jr. college ag. department for testing, just like with any other type of forage test.
 
when it comes to pulling them out of a johnson grass pasture is when you know its gonna rain or after it rains to lock them out for about 4days so the grass can dry rain activates the poision in the johnson grass but your vet can treat for the tetny scott
 
if it is johnson grass that is giving you the problem... graze it hard and it will die out.

jt
 
i have grazed and hayed johnson grass all my life. after the cows have been in the johnson grass a day you will have no problems with it for the rest of the season as long as the cows stay in that field. if they are currently eating it, the frost wont cause problems. if they are not currently eating the johnson grass, you need to keep the cows out of it almost a week, then the cows can go in and they will eat it like candy with no harm. i have fed johnson grass hay every year and have never had a problem with the hay. the hay is very high in feed value and makes great hay if cut before it heads out. there has been alot of galk on johnson grass in another thread here. sudan is different, it can kill cattle as hay if stored outside and fed with snow and ice on the bales. for some reason the snow and ice activates the acid
 

Latest posts

Back
Top