What is Normal Forage

[kenny thomas]

Mine is in rotational grazed pastures so usually 4-6" before they get to it.

 

[ddd75]

i put my cattle on anything and everything. I just threw them into a brush woods last week.

They go for the grape vine first thing..

 

[Jogeephus]

i put my cattle on anything and everything. I just threw them into a brush woods last week.

They go for the grape vine first thing..

If you keep up that nonsense you are apt to make money with cattle and we can't have that. Need to buy you some of those fancy 50 lb bags that will make your cattle grow up to 10% faster before its to late. ;-)

BTW - have you ever run a forage test on a young grape leaf? If you haven't, you might want to be careful else you could easily founder a horse.

 

[talltimber]

I dont' have Bermuda pastures, but had bought a few squares a couple years ago to feed to what I was holding in the barn for whatever reason. Had an old cow wouldn't touch it hardly. I had to spray it with pancake syrup to get her to eat it. This was a bale from a farm nearby, sprayed, fert. the whole bit. Back when, the horses would eat it as fast as you could give it to them. And I had a bull up for a while, he really liked it.

 

[slick4591]

Mine are another group that holds off until a last resort to eat the Bermuda. Every paddock has it and they are exposed to it all growing season, and it's the last to turn dormant. I am looking to maybe plant Bahia come spring as iI have a ton of what we call needle grass that they love. I have no idea what the real name might be.

 

[Turkeybird]

My cattle seem to prefer blackberry and kudzu

 

[kenny thomas]

My cattle seem to prefer blackberry and kudzu

Wish mine would eat blackberry.

 

[HDRider]

Won't eat bermuda ??? Are you serious ?? Mine love it.

Last on my cows' menu too. They love crabgrass, Johnson grass (they will eat it down and kill it) and kudzoo, but the kudzoo is out of reach now.

I am in process of getting the broomsedge under control. They will eat that as it comes back. Some of it is coming back from grazing, some from mowing.

 

[1982vett]

I dont' have Bermuda pastures, but had bought a few squares a couple years ago to feed to what I was holding in the barn for whatever reason. Had an old cow wouldn't touch it hardly. I had to spray it with pancake syrup to get her to eat it. This was a bale from a farm nearby, sprayed, fert. the whole bit. Back when, the horses would eat it as fast as you could give it to them. And I had a bull up for a while, he really liked it.

I've had cows like that too....break into the barn and crawl over the coastal to get to prairie hay and haygrazer. I was out late this afternoon watching the cows graze. They didn't seem to be to picky about what they were going after.

 

[callmefence]

Mine are another group that holds off until a last resort to eat the Bermuda. Every paddock has it and they are exposed to it all growing season, and it's the last to turn dormant. I am looking to maybe plant Bahia come spring as iI have a ton of what we call needle grass that they love. I have no idea what the real name might be.

Texas winter grass

 

[slick4591]

Texas winter grass

Not it. We call that spear grass, but we have that too.

 

[callmefence]

Texas winter grass

Not it. We call that spear grass, but we have that too.

Same here.. spear grass. I've heard some call it needle grass I thought I had a answer for ya.
I was so dam proud. :frowns:

 

[slick4591]

Texas winter grass

Not it. We call that spear grass, but we have that too.

Same here.. spear grass. I've heard some call it needle grass I thought I had a answer for ya.
I was so dam proud. :frowns:

lol What I know as needle grass has thinner blades on them. They do grow in clumps, but I have never seen it make those spears. I've asked a bunch of old timers around here and needle grass is always the answer. Thanks for trying.

 

[MtnCows93]

mine eat alot of wild cherry leaves and poke berries, hasnt bothered them yet

 

[Texasmark]

What most consider normal forage or summer grass in the deep south is Bermuda , Bahia . I tend to let my fields get a little weedier than most because of the variety for the cows. The tenant that row crops some of our land came by sunday and asked what I thought he should do with the mess he has on about 50 acres he had sprigged in may . I told him I would help him get it cleaned up . The sprigs didn't take because he was a week early planting and we were dry. Huge amount of mature crabgrass , volunteer peanuts , buffalo grass , sand spur, rag weed, pigweed everywhere, sparse areas of Bermuda, coffee weed, in the fence rows lots of poison ivy and I am sure their may be other grasses not mentioned . the cows have been on it for about 4 days and I checked on them yesterday they were grazing like goats. had some eating crabgrass , one heifer had hundreds of sand spurs on her face getting the SS grass . I noticed a couple going from peanut vine to peanut vine pulling it up to get to the nuts. some of the older cows were breaking down the pigweed to get to the tender tops . all of the ragweed had been topped . Now this is not a situation where this is all they have . I have more grass this year that anytime recently they left a perfect field of Bahia to come to this one and still have access to go back. I think a lot of time people tend to spray and kill very good forage. And I will at times spray just to get some weeds they wont eat under control.

I agree. I've watched the tongue action in a mixed field and they know what they want and that tongue moves around the dislikes and finds the likes like a well played symphony. Funny thing about hay feeding too. You can take a 4 year old roll of hay and toss it in a ravine for erosion control and put a perfect roll in a hoop and they'll leave it for the old. I think some of it turns to sugar, or ferments and turns booze and they get drunk on it. Grin

 

[danl]

mine eat alot of wild cherry leaves and poke berries, hasnt bothered them yet

That is because they are eating the cherry leaves green off ofthe tree. Once the leaf wilts it contains prussic acid (cyanide)
and I promise it will kill them.

I don't know about poke berries, birds sure eat them a lot.

 

[danl]

"Serious gastrointestinal problems have occurred, including bloody vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and low blood pressure."


That was copied from poison control for people. Makes me want to down a handfull.




This is copied from Pet Poison Control and included cattle.
All parts of this perennial contain saponins and oxalates which cause severe gastrointestinal irritation. Excessive salivation, vomiting, inappetance/refusal of food, diarrhea, possible tremors, and a drop in blood pressure may occur. The berries are generally not known for being very poisonous, and often may pass through the gastrointestinal tract intact (without being broken down).

Now that I'm done with that... My cows are eating Bermuda hay right now and walking past Bermuda pasture to get to it.
We haven't had rain in 6 weeks and everything else is gone.
I think it is tough to bite off and they would rather it already cut off.. Or maybe the flavor is better cured.