QUESTION ABOUT TOXIC GRASS

[JHH]

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.

 

[cherokeeruby]

Sounds like Johnson Grass.

 

[JHH]

FOR SOME REASON BERMUDA GRASS COMES TO MIND BUT MAYBE IT WAS JOHNSON GRASS.THANKS FOR THE REPLY.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

You are probably talking about the Sorgham species: Johnsongrass, Sudan, Redtop Cane, as well as perhaps fescue. They produce prussic acid under specific weather conditions.

 

[Anonymous]

has anybody ever heard of fescue grass eating the cows tails off.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

has anybody ever heard of fescue grass eating the cows tails off.

Don't think grass is carnivorous...

 

[bigbull338]

the grass your talking bout is johnson grass from what your saying scott

 

[jt]

has anybody ever heard of fescue grass eating the cows tails off.

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

 

[EIEIO]

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

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

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:

 

[bigbull338]

lolol arnold you think the missourians will over run us huh 1 thing about us is we are all cattleman scott

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

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.

 

[bigbull338]

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

 

[jt]

if it is johnson grass that is giving you the problem... graze it hard and it will die out.

jt

 

[JHH]

THANKS FOR ALL THE REPLIES,FOUND OUT THAT IT IS SUDAN GRASS.GREAT HELP AND GREAT PLACE TO GET INFO.THANKS AGAIN.JHH

 

[stocky]

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