Do cattle get hay fever?

[Rob R]

Not exactly the query as per the title but the cows are currently grazing (out, hopefully, so that better grasses stand a chance) a stand of tufted hair-grass that is about 5ft tall. The cows walk through it and come out covered, along their backs, by the seed. I was just wondering what this does for their respiratory system, as surely they must be breathing the irritable little seeds in. Has anyone had any experience of such problems?

[Duncan MacIntyre]

I don't think there is much risk, I am not aware of cattle suffering as humans do from allergic reactions to pollen. The respiratory system through the nasal passages and the major bronchi and trachea will not generally allow such big particles as seed to get very far into the lungs either, though fungal spores in mouldy hay could. Even the fungal spores, though they cause farmers lung in farmers and contribute to COPD in horses, don't seem to do so in cattle.

Duncan

[Rob R]

They seem to be coughing, particularly the calves, when they go into a new paddock of it, I imagine this is part of the protection process ejecting the seed but it's very disconcerting. They're moving back up the hill now where it's less prevalent and the next fields are half on the hill and half in the low seedy bit, so the calves might stay on top and let the cows knock all the seed off first (wishful thinking). I've never grazed this type of grass before so it's a learning curve.

We cut the fields last year and only lightly grazed the aftermath for a few days with wormed cattle, so I'm hoping that it's fairly clean grazing and they're getting moved every day too.

[Rob R]

Just an update on this; they moved out of the hair-grass and they seemed to do better but, now later in the season, they're still in the stuff but it's having much less of an effect on them. The regrowth on the previously grazed bits looks good & it's a shame I can't graze it as tightly but more quickly so that they could return to the regrowth and give it a second assault. Finer grasses are now growing through the patches of flattened hair grass & rushes so hopefully next year it'll be a bit less prevalent but it's nice to see the Dexters helping to improve the sward.