Tall Fescue Online Monograph

Cattle grazing E+ tall fescue have been diagnosed in post-mortem examinations with a disorder known as liptomatosis, more commonly termed bovine fat necrosis (Wilkinson et al., 1983). Fat necrosis results in reduced reproductive capacity and high digestive problem incidence, because the mass of necrotic fat occupies critical space in the abdominal cavity. The occurrence of fat necrosis in cattle has been associated with cattle grazing E+ tall fescue pastures that have received high levels of N fertilization (Stuedemann et al., 1985). Even though fat necrosis is not a widespread problem, it can be costly to individual beef cattle producers (Williams et al., 1969). Abdominal lipomatosis attributed to tall fescue toxicosis in deer was reported by Wolfe et al. (1998). Fat necrosis also has been reported in a pygmy goat grazing E+ tall fescue (Smith et al., 2004).