TANK30705
Well-known member
Would like to gain some knowledge on this subject? What non toxic fescues do you recommend?
It seems to sort of depend on the cow. For us it' well over 50% of their diet and we haven;t had issues in years. Cows that have never had it don;t seem to have to have very much and they go downhill fast. Right now ours are on probably close to 90% KY31 and they seem to do fine. No issues and the calves are growing well considering we haven;t had any rain to speak of for months. Grass isn;t growing and it's dry and crunchy.Nesikep":2ljvcnhv said:At what point in a dietary percentage does endophyte fescue start to become a problem? I did plant some low endophyte fescue and it died the second winter, the alfalfa did wonderfully this year in that field though.
What kind of fescue do you have. When I was in washington I never heard of KY31, it was all meadow fescue, chewings red fescue, etc.Nesikep":125k04l6 said:Next time I look at fescue I'll try and find an endophyte friendly one.. In my area, with lots of alfalfa and clover, as well as other grasses I don't think they'd ever see more than about 30-40% fescue.
Thanks for the info
dun":2goesvpj said:What kind of fescue do you have. When I was in washington I never heard of KY31, it was all meadow fescue, chewings red fescue, etc.Nesikep":2goesvpj said:Next time I look at fescue I'll try and find an endophyte friendly one.. In my area, with lots of alfalfa and clover, as well as other grasses I don't think they'd ever see more than about 30-40% fescue.
Thanks for the info
I would like more information on the climate affect. I have never heard or read that theory. I have read where the endophyte did not discriminate by region. The endophyte is in the seed, the initial seed planted. If a plant has the endophyte it will always have the endophyte. It will not transfer or spread to other non infected fescue plants.Dave":1592n6qz said:dun":1592n6qz said:What kind of fescue do you have. When I was in washington I never heard of KY31, it was all meadow fescue, chewings red fescue, etc.Nesikep":1592n6qz said:Next time I look at fescue I'll try and find an endophyte friendly one.. In my area, with lots of alfalfa and clover, as well as other grasses I don't think they'd ever see more than about 30-40% fescue.
Thanks for the info
We have plenty KY31 and Alta around and plenty of other varieties of tall fescue too. The endophytes aren't nearly the issue here as they are in the Southeast. I have been told by the experts it has to do with climate.
Don't forget to update us later when you come to some conclusion. I had the same idea. Just haven't done anything.Fire Sweep Ranch":16zn3gez said:I am trying something crazy this year... We are taking 13 acres (split in an 8 acre pasture and two 5 acre pastures) and planting BarOptima along with some red clover. Our exhististing stand is K31 mostly, and we have lost some due to the drought a few years ago, so there are several bare spots. I do not want to kill the existing stand, but thicken it for better production. So I have talked with many different people, extension agents, seed suppliers, and other cattlemen to come up with my idea. I plan on drilling the Bar Optima at 12 pounds an acre, along with the clover (I think 5 pounds an acre) into the exhisting field. The BarOptima E34 is an endophyte friendly fescue. I have not had specific problems with fescue, but do have cows that do not shed off, and pant more than others. I suspect they are fescue cows, but not sure. I have no way of knowing which plant is which in the field once it grows, but hope to see a difference in our gains and overall look of the cattle. We manage intensive graze, so rotate in and out of those fields maybe twice during the growing season, along with taking a capturing for hay if the weather cooperats. I. Hope it works, and will try to remember to update you all. Now I just need a good rain around the first of September!