We get through calving season, white scours season, udder problems, bull problems, foot problems, fly problems. Now, i'm on twitcher watch. We've gotten most of our pastures shredded, but that durn dallis grass just keeps heading out. So far i havent seen any gummy heads, but, i cant checks them all. So i go around every calf and watch for twitching. So far so good....
Twitcher watch
- Thread starter cowgirl8
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
I'll bite...
Does dallis grass, whatever that is, cause them to twitch?
Make them sick?
Does dallis grass, whatever that is, cause them to twitch?
Make them sick?
wbvs58
Well-known member
Yes, I am at a loss as to what a Twitcher watch is. I thought it was something you wore on your wrist.
Ken
Ken
Lucky_P
Well-known member
Dallisgrass staggers.
Never seen it, but have seen ergot sclerotia on DG seedheads on a regular basis. Used to worry about it, but don't even give it a thought anymore.
Never seen it, but have seen ergot sclerotia on DG seedheads on a regular basis. Used to worry about it, but don't even give it a thought anymore.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Lucky_P said:
Had a group of vet students and their professor on my farm s couple weeks ago and I showed them some Dallisgrass and explained what I had always been told about it. I ask the professor and he stated he had only seen it effect 1 steer in his career. It comes thick in one of my rotational grazing paddocks and I have never seen an issue
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Question, what do you do if you find one twitching?cowgirl8 said:
Little Joe
Well-known member
I have alot of dallisgrass in my pasture and never had a problem. You can't stay ahead of the seed heads on it, mowe it today and in 2 days you'll have seed heads again. I don't worry about it.
bird dog
Well-known member
For some reason we are having a career year this year with Dallis grass. I have never had any problems with it. It grows all summer rain or not. Cows don't seem to eat the head much anyway but they are gummy enough right now that your pants legs will feel like they were starched.
OP
OP
cowgirl8
Well-known member
Lucky_P said:
In wet years its bad here. Not a problem with cows, they know not to eat the molded heads. But the calves will eat them. One year, i think it was the year after the 2011 drought, we had tons of fall rain.. It energized the dallis grass and it headed out, it was a sea of grass seeds.. We put weanlings out on it, and at the time it was fine, seeds were clear and dry, but it was like overnight it molded over after a rain. We went out to put feed out for the calves and one was looking at me and his ears were twitching. We started looking around and a few were walking funny on their backends. This was the first time ever to have this problem. We pulled out over a dozen of the twitchers. If i remember right, we lost one. He refused to drink. I think thats the main problem is it in itself doesnt kill them, dehydration does. The calf that died was probably not drinking and when we pulled them out of the pasture it was basically too late for him.. We have periotic problems, most times we try to keep the pastures mowed.. but, there can be one spot the grass is thick with heads and calves just look for things to die with..If there are areas of the seeds, i go through them daily and look for twitchers and if i find them i get them out of that pasture..and we go to that pasture and mow it. If you get to them before they get too wonky, they get over it after a few weeks.. We had just one last year and he was very wonky.. I honestly didnt think he'd make it. but he did. Best way to see if they are affected by it, is to drive though them and they naturally look at you, and just note the ears and if they are steady or shaky.. I have a video of the calves that one year and how they walked. It was horrible because that was the year prices started going way up..
OP
OP
cowgirl8
Well-known member
kenny thomas said:
We move them into a pasture that doesnt have them, then go mow the infected one....As long as the calf is moving ok and it doesnt look like they'd have a problem getting a drink from the pond, we leave it. But, if they arent moving with the herd, we bring them to the house...
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Seen some fungus on it tonight.
Dirt Farmer
Well-known member
What chemical causes the problem?
kenny thomas
Well-known member
8)
It's a toxin from the fungus that can grow on the seed heads.Dirt Farmer said:
