# Foxtail questions



## SvdSinner (Nov 25, 2009)

I've heard several farmer opinions on Foxtail. Everything from "It will kill horses!!!!!!!" to "It is totally fine to bale as hay"

I've done a bit of reading on Wikipedia and have seen that there are numerous types of foxtail grasses. I certainly learned that I've got a lot to learn before I understand this all.

The field I'm concerned with was freshly converted to hay this spring (previously was a tilled bean/corn field) and freshly planted with versa-grass.

I'm getting ready to cut it and I've seen that there are numerous foxtails throughout the field. (Pretty thick and evenly throughout the field. Very much looks like it was something planted in the versa-grass blend) My guess from Wikipedia is that it is probably the brome grass in the blend.

Is this safe to bale? What type of foxtail do I need to worry about? What level of foxtail is safe/unsafe?


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## sedurbin (May 30, 2009)

The seed heads are the problem as some claim that it gets in the horses gums and will cause an infection. If you can bale it before it goes to seed it makes decent feed for horses or cattle.

In the Midwest it seems to be everywhere there is a place for it to grow. I try to keep it cut early because a few heads showing in your bale can really knock the price down. The seed stays in the ground forever and will germinate as it gets a chance. Good luck.

Best way to control it is to keep a thick stand to crowd it out and don't let any bare ground show. Also mowing often will eventually deplete the seed supply.


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## Robin Craig (Aug 8, 2010)

Could you post a picture of it please?

Robin


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## Production Acres (Jul 29, 2008)

Foxtail is the biggest curse we have in grass hay fields. The foxtail will not kill an animal that I know of, but some horses are very suspectable to getting the foxtail hairs embedded into their gums. Easiest treatment is just to switch hay and the problem goes away, but I have seen many horses on foxtail that looked like they had a herpies infection. It makes fine hay baled before it goes to seed. It is also the worst species of hay I know of to get to dry down.


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## mrjata (Dec 14, 2010)

In my experiences with commercial hay and horse people, they say is the problem with foxtail is the seed from the giant foxtail gets into their gums like popcorn hulls do to our gums.

We have several kinds of foxtails here in NW Missouri. You have yellow around the house and some green foxtail in the pasture. I spot spray the giant foxtail when I see any. In alfalfa, there is an easy fix with a couple of chemicals. I am working on one for the pasture. It never fails when I start a new brome field, I get a fantastic stand of foxtail the first year. Anoying...


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## Hogleg (Dec 20, 2009)

I had some gum problems with my horses last season. The foxtail seed heads embeded in their gums and it can get infected. Noticed it when there was bloody slobber on the tops of the stall boards. Went back to my hay supplier and he said they had a section of the field that was too wet to bale for first cutting so they came back and got it at second cutting. By then it had gone to seed. One of the reasons I am cutting my own hay this year - quality control.


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