[Jacob-list] Fescue Toxicity

[Neal and Louise Grose]

Fescue toxicity is a real problem in our area. It is caused by a symbiotic endophyte fungus that infects fescue grass and increases its tolerance to draught, cold, heat, and insect infestation. Look at your pasture. If the grass is uniform and stays green a high percentage of the year, then it is probably bad for your sheep. It also tends to make the grass unpalatable to sheep and bugs. Good for lawns = bad for sheep. 

Rate of gain yields can often double in pastures that are over-planted with clover because it gives the animals something else to eat. Fungus free fescues are available and can produce good rates of gain, but die out after a few years. There is also a new non-toxic fungus infected fescue that is supposed to supply the best of both worlds, but you can not plant it adjacent to toxic varieties that go to seed and keep it free of the toxic fungus. If your neighbor has stuff he wants to get out of his yard, like crab-grass, offer to take it for the sheep...

Neal Grose 
North Carolina
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: ACAMDA at aol.com 
  To: jacob-list at jacobsheep.com 
  Sent: Saturday, July 10, 2004 6:07 PM
  Subject: [Jacob-list] Fescue Toxicity


  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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