What Are the Dangers of Wheat Grass Pastures for Cattle?

Wheat grass pastures provide excellent nutritional supplements for cattle, especially in winter. Winter wheat is planted in the fall and grows rapidly before going dormant for the coldest part of the year. In early spring, the wheat will come out of hibernation and continue to grow to maturity. By taking precautions during the wheat growing cycle, cattle can be successfully pastured on wheat grass pastures through winter months.

  1. Wheat Pasture Bloat

    • When winter wheat emerges from hibernation, a chemical change within the plant can cause bloat in cattle. Bloat is the abnormal accumulation of gas in the cow's stomach and can cause death if not treated promptly. Supplement cattle on wheat pasture with high-quality hay for roughage during the wheat pasture's emergence from hibernation to curtail a bloat outbreak.

    Tetany

    • Tetany is characterized by a low blood magnesium level in livestock and can only be determined by blood tests. Tetany is primarily caused by the combination of high potassium and low magnesium and calcium in rapidly growing wheat grass pastures. The condition occurs more often in older cows that are nursing young calves, but may affect stock cattle as well. Tetany can be prevented by providing magnesium in a free-choice mineral supplement to cattle pastured on wheat grass.

    Mouth Injuries

    • As the wheat grain matures on the plant, the quality of nutrition for cattle changes. Awns are bristle- or hair-like appendages on the flowering parts of wheat grass where the grain actually matures. These awns can pierce the inside of a cow's mouth and cause infections. To prevent the mouth infections, remove the cattle from the pasture before the awns emerge from the stem of the wheat grass.