Home Garden
# Home & Garden >> Garden & Lawn >> Growing Grass

Problems With Llamas Eating Fescue Grass

Fescue is the most popular pasture grass used in the United States because it tolerates poor soil and climate conditions. In some cases, fescue may contain an alkaloid-producing fungus. Llamas that eat infected fescue develop severe health problems. Because the alkaloid makes the grass more drought and pest resistant, it is more likely to be found in lawns. But it can spread to pastures as well. Luckily, the problems usually only occur while the llamas are eating the fescue. Once they are moved to a new pasture, the llamas quickly recover.

  1. About Fescue

    • Fescues (Festuca spp.) consist of about 100 different species of grasses. The most commonly used in pastures is tall fescue (F. arundinacea), a deep rooted, cool season perennial. It can reach 3 to 4 feet tall and has broad, dark green leaves. It is grown on over 35 million acres in the United States, according to estimates of the Ohio State University Extension. Because it stays greener longer than other grasses, it has a longer grazing season and reduces wintering costs for livestock.

    About Endophytes

    • Fescue causes problems for llamas when it is infected with an internal fungus, or endophyte, known as Neotyphodium coenophialum. When ingested, the fungus causes fescue toxicosis. The endophyte is not found in all fescue and is spread only by seed, so healthy fescue is not affected. But it is impossible to tell if fescue is infected without laboratory testing because the fungus lives inside the grass. Fescue is most toxic when its seed heads develop.

    Reproductive Problems

    • Fescue fed llamas rarely have babies.

      Fescue toxicity has a severe effect on a llama's reproductive system. It can cause pregnant llamas to abort as well as cause extended gestation, prolonged labor and poor milk production. According to Tom Dorn, a University of Nebraska extension agriculturalist, one llama owner reported no live births in three years until they were moved off of fescue. Six weeks after moving his llamas off fescue, he had two live births.

    Other Problems

    • Llamas produce heat when they digest food. The more energy required to digest their food, the more heat they produce. Low-quality roughage like fescue can cause a llama to produce a lot of heat. This could be particularly dangerous in the summer when llamas are at risk of heat stress. Llamas feeding on fescue also experience a summer slump. Symptoms of summer slump include anorexia; weight loss; dull, rough coat; and elevated body temperature. Fescue toxicity can also cause staggers, reduced growth and fescue foot, but not as often in llamas as with other livestock.

Previous:

Next:

Growing Grass
  1. Palmetto Grass Problems
  2. Does Fescue Grass Spread?
  3. Help for Saint Augustine Grass Problems with Weeds
  4. Lawn & Grass Problems
  5. Grass Turf Problems
  6. How to Replace Fescue Grass
  7. Ornamental Grass: Blue Fescue
  8. What Is Tall Fescue Grass?
  9. Lawn Problems & Solutions
  10. Fescue Problems
  11. How to Overseed St. Augustine with K-31 Tall Fescue
  12. Problems With Centipede Grass

Home Garden © https://www.98905.com