Cattle grazing E+ pastures tend to shift their grazing time to cooler periods of the day and often will graze more at night than during daylight (Bond et al., 1984; Stuedemann et al., 1985). Howard et al. (1992) and Parish et al. (2003b) reported that cattle assigned to E+ tall fescue pastures spent more time idling and standing and had fewer prehensile bites than cattle grazing E- tall fescue. These findings are supported by those of Corrigan (2005), who reported that rumen contents were heavier for steers grazing Jesup MaxQ and Jesup E- tall fescue than for those grazing KY-31 E+. Schmidt et al. (1982) reported that steers fed either E+ tall fescue seed or hay were nervous and more excitable than steers consuming E- seed or hay. Lysergic acid and isolysergic acid amides isolated from E+ tall fescue may explain the depression and dullness found in cattle grazing such forage (Cheeke, 1995).

 

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