Experimental high magnesium tall fescue

Grass tetany is a nutritionally related health problem faced by cattle grazing cool season forage during early green-up. Also known as hypomagnesemia, it is the result of inadequate intake of magnesium (and or calcium) in the early spring grass. Low blood magnesium levels cause partial or total paralysis and affected animals may "go down" very quickly. Although occurrences of grass tetany are sporadic, lactating animals grazing grasses in cool, wet springs are at greatest risk for this disease. Increased N or K fertility also increase the incidence of grass tetany.