grazing fescue

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A.P.

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Jun 5, 2009
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How do you guys inthe midwest graze fescue. I know it is toxic. Do you kill it or feed something to counteract the toxin, Just curious.
 

firesweepranch

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Jun 17, 2010
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SW MO
There are several options. The best and most expensive way is to kill smother kill, or kill the fescue, smother it with another crop for the season, then kill it in the fall. Then go back and replant a toxin free variety (Max Q or something like that). It is hard to put pastures out of service for that long, so most people do just a small amount at a time. Just make sure you do not graze a "hot" pasture, then move to a clean pasture because the seed will recontaminate the field.
The cheaper option is to add legumes to the field to offset the toxic affects. This is what we do. They recommend at least 25% clover or lespadeza. There are grants out there to help you pay for this. We just drilled a bunch more in this spring, with the help of a grant. Also, have magnesium in the mineral when the fescue is at it's most toxic point in the growing stage, which helps with grass tetany. When it is cut as hay, the toxicity goes way down, which is good. Cows that can not tolerate it are shipped (my neighbor bought a few angus cows out of a dispersal sale, and shipped most of them this fall when they lost their switches from the fescue, and were real skinny). It prevents gains, but it grows well out here so kind of a love hate relationship! (lol)
 

DRB

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Dec 15, 2009
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St. Agatha, Ontario
Does Frost/Freezing make it better? Fescue is one of the best fall/winter stockpile grasses.  I'm actually planting some specifically for this purpose, endophyte free ofcourse.
 

Simmgal

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Mar 4, 2011
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Virginia
DRB said:
Does Frost/Freezing make it better? Fescue is one of the best fall/winter stockpile grasses.  I'm actually planting some specifically for this purpose, endophyte free ofcourse.
Freezing makes it more appetizing to our cattle. Some of our best grazing is in the fall/early winter.
 

brick hollow

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Feb 1, 2010
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If wasn't for fescue. Nobody would have any cattle around here! Keep our pasture clipped to avoid seed heads.
 

CAB

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Mar 5, 2007
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Corning,Iowa
firesweepranch said:
There are several options. The best and most expensive way is to kill smother kill, or kill the fescue, smother it with another crop for the season, then kill it in the fall. Then go back and replant a toxin free variety (Max Q or something like that). It is hard to put pastures out of service for that long, so most people do just a small amount at a time. Just make sure you do not graze a "hot" pasture, then move to a clean pasture because the seed will recontaminate the field.
The cheaper option is to add legumes to the field to offset the toxic affects. This is what we do. They recommend at least 25% clover or lespadeza. There are grants out there to help you pay for this. We just drilled a bunch more in this spring, with the help of a grant. Also, have magnesium in the mineral when the fescue is at it's most toxic point in the growing stage. When it is cut as hay, the toxicity goes way down, which is good. Cows that can not tolerate it are shipped (my neighbor bought a few angus cows out of a dispersal sale, and shipped most of them this fall when they lost their switches from the fescue, and were real skinny). It prevents gains, but it grows well out here so kind of a love hate relationship! (lol)
I had never heard that Magnesium would help fight the ill effects of fescue. Anyone else use Mag. to help? Allot of PPL put Aureomycin in the mineral around here to supposedly help out. Personally I hate the grass & wish that I had never heard of the stuff, but more than likely I just am a poor manager of the grass.
 

Simmgal

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Joined
Mar 4, 2011
Messages
931
Location
Virginia
CAB said:
firesweepranch said:
There are several options. The best and most expensive way is to kill smother kill, or kill the fescue, smother it with another crop for the season, then kill it in the fall. Then go back and replant a toxin free variety (Max Q or something like that). It is hard to put pastures out of service for that long, so most people do just a small amount at a time. Just make sure you do not graze a "hot" pasture, then move to a clean pasture because the seed will recontaminate the field.
The cheaper option is to add legumes to the field to offset the toxic affects. This is what we do. They recommend at least 25% clover or lespadeza. There are grants out there to help you pay for this. We just drilled a bunch more in this spring, with the help of a grant. Also, have magnesium in the mineral when the fescue is at it's most toxic point in the growing stage. When it is cut as hay, the toxicity goes way down, which is good. Cows that can not tolerate it are shipped (my neighbor bought a few angus cows out of a dispersal sale, and shipped most of them this fall when they lost their switches from the fescue, and were real skinny). It prevents gains, but it grows well out here so kind of a love hate relationship! (lol)
I had never heard that Magnesium would help fight the ill effects of fescue. Anyone else use Mag. to help? Allot of PPL put Aureomycin in the mineral around here to supposedly help out. Personally I hate the grass & wish that I had never heard of the stuff, but more than likely I just am a poor manager of the grass.
We feed a high-mag mineral and we haven't had too many problems. Actually, we haven't had any at all in our mature cows. Some of our younger cows (first and second calf) don't shed out fully on our fescue. This could just be a coincidence, but it is interesting. The cows thrive with the high-mag.
 

firesweepranch

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Joined
Jun 17, 2010
Messages
1,685
Location
SW MO
CAB said:
firesweepranch said:
There are several options. The best and most expensive way is to kill smother kill, or kill the fescue, smother it with another crop for the season, then kill it in the fall. Then go back and replant a toxin free variety (Max Q or something like that). It is hard to put pastures out of service for that long, so most people do just a small amount at a time. Just make sure you do not graze a "hot" pasture, then move to a clean pasture because the seed will recontaminate the field.
The cheaper option is to add legumes to the field to offset the toxic affects. This is what we do. They recommend at least 25% clover or lespadeza. There are grants out there to help you pay for this. We just drilled a bunch more in this spring, with the help of a grant. Also, have magnesium in the mineral when the fescue is at it's most toxic point in the growing stage. When it is cut as hay, the toxicity goes way down, which is good. Cows that can not tolerate it are shipped (my neighbor bought a few angus cows out of a dispersal sale, and shipped most of them this fall when they lost their switches from the fescue, and were real skinny). It prevents gains, but it grows well out here so kind of a love hate relationship! (lol)
I had never heard that Magnesium would help fight the ill effects of fescue. Anyone else use Mag. to help? Allot of PPL put Aureomycin in the mineral around here to supposedly help out. Personally I hate the grass & wish that I had never heard of the stuff, but more than likely I just am a poor manager of the grass.

Opps, I meant magnesium for grass tetany. We have both problems out here, so they are often talked about in the same sentence. Sorry about that!
 

Simmgal

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 4, 2011
Messages
931
Location
Virginia
firesweepranch said:
CAB said:
firesweepranch said:
There are several options. The best and most expensive way is to kill smother kill, or kill the fescue, smother it with another crop for the season, then kill it in the fall. Then go back and replant a toxin free variety (Max Q or something like that). It is hard to put pastures out of service for that long, so most people do just a small amount at a time. Just make sure you do not graze a "hot" pasture, then move to a clean pasture because the seed will recontaminate the field.
The cheaper option is to add legumes to the field to offset the toxic affects. This is what we do. They recommend at least 25% clover or lespadeza. There are grants out there to help you pay for this. We just drilled a bunch more in this spring, with the help of a grant. Also, have magnesium in the mineral when the fescue is at it's most toxic point in the growing stage. When it is cut as hay, the toxicity goes way down, which is good. Cows that can not tolerate it are shipped (my neighbor bought a few angus cows out of a dispersal sale, and shipped most of them this fall when they lost their switches from the fescue, and were real skinny). It prevents gains, but it grows well out here so kind of a love hate relationship! (lol)
I had never heard that Magnesium would help fight the ill effects of fescue. Anyone else use Mag. to help? Allot of PPL put Aureomycin in the mineral around here to supposedly help out. Personally I hate the grass & wish that I had never heard of the stuff, but more than likely I just am a poor manager of the grass.

Opps, I meant magnesium for grass tetany. We have both problems out here, so they are often talked about in the same sentence. Sorry about that!
Haha I thought that was the question too! My bad  ;D
 
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