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It's a Sweet Clover Summer here in SE Montana

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Years ago a neighbor had fed nice lush sweet clover hay to yearling heifers in the springtime. Shortly thereafter, they spayed a couple hundred head. The blood in the heifers was "thin" from the high protein hay, and about fourteen head perished from the procedure. Basically they bled too easily, lost too much blood, and bled to death.
 
It only shows up in years when the conditions are right...A few years ago when we had lots of rain- it was everywhere.. This year I've seen little up north here, but have had other folks tell me how thick it is on the way to Billings...

We've never had any bloat problems- but I think that is because the cows are right in the pasture when its growing- and accustom themselves to it...
And usually in the years the sweet-clover shows up- there is lots of other grass they seem to prefer better...

And like Soap said- when we have a lot of sweet-clover in the hay we feed that hay sparingly mixed with something else because it can contain excess coumarin - that thins the blood of the cows....
 
It is definitely something best fed in the first two trimesters for sure, and best fed along with some grass hay.
 
Faster horses said:
It's over the hills and in the hayfields:



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I have never seen such a crop as this!
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Very pretty pics FH !! Hope your area has a bumper crop :)

We like clover in our pastures here , not so much in the fields as it can be a real management problem . However if you can utilize it properly it is a phenomenal energy and protein source .
 
We have noticed lots of it in many areas between exit 170 on I-90 and Rapid City, also along hiway 14 from Midland to Wall, about the only places I've been in weeks. More and less in various places/grazing levels. Not the biggest crops ever, but pretty to see, if sometimes a mixed blessing. Great for the bee keepers! Great crops of native grasses, too, so probably mitigates some effects of the clover on cattle. Timing may be part of that, too. Clover seemed a little late to me this year.

mrj
 

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