Practical Grazing Management and Feed Strategies to Alleviate Fescue Toxicosis

Practical Grazing Management and Feed Strategies to Alleviate Fescue Toxicosis

Tall fescue grown in Kentucky is productive and persistent and that is why the state has 5 million acres of the stuff! Fescue has tolerances to drought, low fertility, and overgrazing that are attributed to a fungal endophyte which infects most tall fescue plants. Unfortunately, these advantages of tall fescue that livestock producers appreciate are offset by reduced calving percentages and calf weight gains caused by consumption of ergot alkaloids produced by the endophyte. Ergot alkaloids affect the physiology of cattle to cause elevation in body temperature, reduced sweating, retention of winter hair coats and uncontrollable growth of summer hair coats, and a reduction in the prolactin hormone (not just the milk hormone!). Cattle inflicted with this toxicosis suffer from heat stress with high air temperature and humidity to reduce grazing time and dry matter intake. Consequently, with endophyte-infected tall fescue it can be difficult to maintain body condition and acceptable reproductive performance of cow herds and weight gain of yearling cattle is generally regarded as unacceptable for profitable stocker and replacement heifer production.