[Jacob-list] Fescue Toxicity

[ACAMDA at aol.com]

Hi, y'all:

When the vet came out last week to wether our rams, I asked him to check one 
of the ram's tail.  To me it looked like something had wrapped around it about 
3 inches from the tip, and the bottom was necrotic.  When we finally caught 
the little critter, the vet asked me if there was fescue in my pasture (which 
there is - nothing much else will withstand our Georgia heat), and that the 
tail suffered from fescue toxicity.  He was not concerned about it at all.  (We 
did not dock tails this year, so the tails are longer than normal.)  I looked 
up fescue toxicity on the Internet, and found that it affects sheep in their 
hooves and tails, causing them to slough off. But again, it gave not tips on 
what you should do for the animal. 

Okay, I don't like the sound of this.  Is this something I should be 
concerned about?  Or is it something to watch on the rare occasion that it happens?

Thanks!

P.S.  The vet who came out is from the local vet school, and had four female 
students with him.  They do mostly horse work, and see very few sheep.  They 
were hysterical trying to catch the young ones, in awe of Jacobs in general, 
and were literally laughing so hard they could barely breathe watching the lambs 
jump right over their heads.  I think I deserve a discount for all the 
learning that took place that day!
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