Are Cut Grass Treats Okay?

[mysticokra]

I mowed the area outside the fence where the cows are grazing. It was much greener and voluminous than the stuff inside the fence. Out of curiosity I shook out the mower bag to see if they would eat it.
They devoured it! It had plenty of vetch, fescue, clover and few weeds in it.

What I found interesting was how they sorted through the pile, picking their favorites (the vetch) first and then eating what was left.

Is there any danger that they may eat too much or too fast?

Thanks.

[MikeJoel]

But Im new to cattle. I only reply because we had one horse last year without pasture and a neighbor who had a field that wsn't being used. He let us go in and cut for hay. We fed green grass from the cutting and hay we stored.

We fed just like you would hay.
I have been told that cows wont eat themselves sick like a horse will.

[Horace Baker]

Clean grass clippings (no lawn chemicals) are fine for cattle.

[DaleK]

Depends on the grass. If you aren't trying to raise a prize-winning lawn it should be fine, but problems come up when grass clippings are coming off some of the manicured town lawns. Not the chemicals so much but people tend to put so much fertilizer on their lawns that the nitrates get concentrated in the grass and it can cause nitrate poisoning in animals. If you're like me and couldn't care less about fertilizing your lawn go ahead and feed it.

[swollen tongue]

I have always been told not to do this since it may cause bloating and other problems.
This is my own opinion.

[dcross]

We've always thrown them in the pen with no problems. Watch out for Japanese Yews though.

[astrocow]

Last summer I had a part time job doing yard work so whenever I had to cut the lady's grass I would rake it up and bring home bags of it in my car. I gave it to our two cows and they loved it. Just can't give it to them all at once but rather in small amounts. If they haven't had accesss to green grass then when they are given a whole lot all at once they will get bloat.