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acorn poisoning in cattle

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  • 02-12-2020 7:54pm
    #1
    Tig98
    Registered Users Posts: 363 ✭✭


    I have it in my mind to plant a few oak trees down the middle divide of a pasture.
    Nothing much, only a handful, a lot of it is about restoring some bit of a habitat as a neighbour cleared a few trees over on his side of the ditch. Also have had a terrible problem with charolais getting sun stroke the last few years so it might be a hand to them if theyve the brains to stand under it!
    But I read that if cattle eat too much acorns they can get poisoning, kidney failure etc. Has anyone ever actually had problems with this? if it's any real risk id swap to ash or some other native species


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    #2
    runawaybishop
    Registered Users Posts: 9,504 ✭✭✭runawaybishop


    Ash is fecked, it's all diseased. Shouldn't be a problem with oak, they will only eat significant amounts if they are starving.

    What sort of land is it, that should dictate the type of trees you plant, with a mix being good.


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    #3
    greysides
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,981 Mod ✭✭✭✭greysides


    In 30 years of cattle practice, I've yet to encounter Acorn Poisoning.

    Sun stroke or photosensitisation? Photosensitisation is caused by eating too much of some plants. Some practical botany and bit of weeding might help .... if we had a definitive list of problem plants for this country. Most work seems to list North American plants.

    The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress. Joseph Joubert

    The ultimate purpose of debate is not to produce consensus. It's to promote critical thinking.

    Adam Grant



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    #4
    orm0nd
    Registered Users Posts: 4,185 ✭✭✭orm0nd


    Poisoning usually occurs late in the year after a long dry spell, the stock usually eat fallen acorns . or branches that break off. 2 different neighbours lost a cow each here locally in 1995, we have quite a lot of oak trees and fenced off a lot of fallen branches after storm ellen this year, until we had time to dispose of them ,

    https://www.thecattlesite.com/diseaseinfo/195/acorn-poisoning/


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    #5
    JJayoo
    Registered Users Posts: 6,561 ✭✭✭JJayoo


    How would you keep the cows from smashing the trees? I have been planting threes in land grazed by sheep....but cows are another story


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    #6
    Treppen
    Registered Users Posts: 4,586 ✭✭✭Treppen


    Ya i heard this before but just from vet on the radio talking about not letting kids play fetch with acorns or horse chestnuts. So it can be a thing apparently https://www.thecattlesite.com/diseaseinfo/195/acorn-poisoning/


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    #7
    farming93
    Registered Users Posts: 367 ✭✭farming93


    I had a heifer weanling absolutely hopping off them around October . Just reading this now and thankfully she suffered no ill effects. She was the only one that was constantly at them anytime I was checking them.


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