Those who graze standing hay WARNING Toxic ergot fungus

[Fruitcake]

After reading another thread on HHO, I was alerted to this issue. I’d never heard of ergot before and so checked my long grass and lo and behold, there it was! Apparently, this year has been particularly ideal for ergot growth due to the damp weather followed by heat.

You may be completely aware of this problem but if, like me, you’d never heard of it, it might be useful. I’ve posted this in case it helps anyone who missed the other thread (which was about a number of topics and so had a different title).

Ergot fungus is a mycotoxin, which affects seed heads of grasses and cereals. If ingested, it can cause serious neurological problems. It looks like a black grain of rice taking the place of one or more of the seeds.

I’m sure someone with more knowledge than me will be along to explain in more detail, but the bottom line is please check your long grass for this. I’m so glad I happened to read the thread a few days ago and that I got some great advice as a result.

ETA This is the other thread, which has lots of info from people who know a lot more than me.
https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/will-it-never-end.809449/

 

[PapaverFollis]

And another thread here!

https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/...rass-seed-heads-in-paddocks-this-year.809603/

There seems to be conflicting information floating about but PurBee is speaking from first hand experience.

Something I have realised is that advice to "plough it in" is more pertinent if one is hoping to grow a cereal crop on the ground rather than for grazing land. But next year (and probably going forwards full stop) I will be not letting ANY of my grass go to seed.

 

[Fruitcake]

And another thread here!

https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/...rass-seed-heads-in-paddocks-this-year.809603/

There seems to be conflicting information floating about but PurBee is speaking from first hand experience.

Something I have realised is that advice to "plough it in" is more pertinent if one is hoping to grow a cereal crop on the ground rather than for grazing land. But next year (and probably going forwards full stop) I will be not letting ANY of my grass go to seed.

Oh, I hadn’t realised PurBee had started the other thread already. I checked Tack Room but didn’t think to check Care and Feeding. Yes, PurBee has some good advice.

 

[Lamehorses]

So what about haylage made from fields with ergot.
Our livery owner has just, bailed from fields adjacent to the one I'm grazing. I've just walked the long grass I'm strip grazing into & found a reasonable quantity of ergot infestation.
I'm assuming his fields, won't have escaped, so is the haylage going to be safe to feed this winter?
What about hay, do farmers check for it before bailing?

 

[Fruitcake]

So what about haylage made from fields with ergot.
Our livery owner has just, bailed from fields adjacent to the one I'm grazing. I've just walked the long grass I'm strip grazing into & found a reasonable quantity of ergot infestation.
I'm assuming his fields, won't have escaped, so is the haylage going to be safe to feed this winter?
What about hay, do farmers check for it before bailing?

I’m certainly no expert but I think, if the field was infected with ergot, I wouldn’t be feeding haylage made from it. It seems rather late to be cutting for haylage. I think (although I’m happy to be corrected) it’s mainly a late summer / autumn problem due to the wet weather coinciding with the mature seed heads. Most hay tends to be cut earlier.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Late cut hay/haylage will be a risk. Hay cut earlier in the summer will be fine. It only forms in seed heads not flowers... and I think old seed heads at that. If he's just cut the haylage in the last couple of weeks I definitely wouldn't feed it.