We kept cattle on fescue when we had them, as do the vast majority of my neighbors in East TN. Before the advent of Tall Fescue it was said that a jackrabbit had to pack a lunch to cross the mountains. Old maps show many productive areas today as “barrens”. During the Siege of Chattanooga during the ACW a tenuous “cracker line” was maintained by using pack trains and they had to carry forage and fodder for the mules being used, meaning a lot less “payload.” Tall Fescue makes this area productive.
It does have some pros and cons. The biggest pro is that it’s incredibly hardy and killing a strong, mature stand is not easy. The biggest con is that it carries an endophyte that has negative consequences for fertility. But that endophyte also is the reason it’s so hardy. In horses the consequences of endophyte poisoning are catastrophic. In cattle there is some reduction of fertility but not to the level of un-profitability. I’ve never researched its effects on sheep, goats, or other grazing animals.
When we were breeding horses we were careful to take pregnant mares off the Tall Fescue pastures about 120 days before birth and put them in dry lots with non-fescue hay. Since our birthing months were usually April or May that was not too much a problem as our pastures were mostly dormant during that period. It’s also true that the endophyte is most serious in the more mature plant. So the effect can be moderated by keeping the plants mowed and bailing hay earlier than later in the growing cycle. If by chance we “missed” we could give a medication (name escapes me) that largely nullified the serious consequences of fescue poisoning, thickened placental walls and no milk. We never had these problems with our cattle.
Tall Fescue is a grass that really can’t be replaced in a lot of places. Check with your Extension Agent and see what the recommended management practices are in your area.
G.
