Goat producers are learning that pregnancy-related problems in goats eating Tall Fescue are remarkably similar to those of other species. Some does never develop an udder. Placentas so thick that the kids cannot get out unless the producer tears it open. No cervical dilation at all in some does. Kids are too large .
Rough coats are typical.
Poor blood circulation causes a condition called dry gangrene in which parts of the hooves and tail rot and fall off. Body temperatures tend to be slightly higher than normal, resulting in animals spending much time standing around in the shade when they should be out foraging. Tall Fescue is a perennial plant that grows across the United States, from the West Coast to the East Coast, as far south as Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle, and northward into Canada. The heads on Tall Fescue are open and many branched. Recent droughts have brought forth just such conditions, bringing the toxic effects of goats eating Tall Fescue to the attention of producers.