dew bloat from clover (Pasture)

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread

Last year we planted a clover grass mix for hay in our pasture. This year we fenced that pasture for our goats. Yikes! Luckily someone warned me about bloating from clover pastures before it was too late. I understand that clover covered with due is dangerous for ruminants and will cause bloat. This question probably seems dumb but what about when the clover gets rained on? I am concerned that if I go away from home and it rains while I am gone. I will have some problems on my hands.

I was told that the red clover we seeded last year will be gone by next year and grass would again predominate? Is this true or should I consider plowing the pasture and reseeding in grass mix?

-- Tiffani Cappello (cappello@alltel.net), May 04, 2001

Answers

Tiffani, the information is only partially true. Yes if your does get out onto wet clover or any other legume, they will ingest the dew/rain and the clover, a very high protein. It will cause bloat and in some cases founder. Even good quality grass pasture will cause bloat if animals are let out onto it when they are not used to it. The whole thing swings on whether your animals are used to this or not. My goats do not have doors on their barns to keep them in the barn. They have access to the pasture/woods at anytime they want, they pick and choose what they want to eat. The clover will improve your pasture, which means a better quality of grass summer and fall. Now if you have no grass yes by all means seed. Unless the goats were to eat every tuft of clover down to the ground, the clover will reseed itself. In my area all the clover is dead, the seeds are already in the ground, and the cattlemen are pasturing their cattle they previously had fenced out. Most of our red clover is from the neighboring cattle pastures, our main clover is white, now mowed the grass is really coming in pretty. My chickory however did not reseed. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 06, 2001.

Hey there, Last yr we had a problem with out milk cow which turned out to be nitrate poisoning from the clover. We had a very wet spring and the clover was huge and she got really sick, apparently if we knew at the time what was causing her sickness we could have given her a calcium shot and she would be better. I'm not sure if the same thing can happen to goats though, but something to watch for. Megan

-- Megan Milliken (millikenfarm@hotmail.com), May 06, 2001.

I read that white clover is called "Alsike" clover and will cause "Big Head" disease when ingested. It gets its name because a sheep, cow or goat that eats it, will experience swelling of the lips, tongue and general head area. It causes stinging of the tissue. Also, this happens mostly if let out to eat it when it is wet with dew or after rain, like red clover.

-- Janet (janetw@educ.umass.edu), May 11, 2001.

Hi Tiffani, the red clover will grow and spread even father every year IF you keep it mowed or brushhogged a couple times a year, grass will take over if the area is not mowed. Matter of fact, the more you mow it, the more red clover will grow, which is desirable as it is high in protein and other nutrients, and, very drought resistant!

We seeded all 50 acres of our hayfields last year with the no-till seeder (the seeder can be rented from your extension agent, like we did) with red clover, and every time we brushhog or cut hay, the red clover comes in thicker. We don't fertilize our fields so we want all the nitrogen fixing plants we can get (free fetilizer!!!).

We have never had a problem with bloat and red clover, however, white and yellow clover are a whole 'nother story and can be quite toxic in excess!!!

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), May 15, 2001.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ