The seed heads readily shatter when mature. At maturity, the plant stems break off, allowing the heads to blow with the wind and scatter the seeds. If a stem breaks off before maturity, but seed development has begun, viable seed production is still possible. Seeds do not need to experience cold temperatures to germinate. Production Impact Foxtail barley can be grazed in the early vegetative stage.
Palatability is fair.
However, once the heads are present, the barbed awns can cause serious problems. Livestock and game animals generally avoid the grass at this stage. If it is eaten, the awns can lodge in the mucous membranes in the mouth and nose. This concern is especially true for horses that have soft mucous membranes in the mouth. The eyes also can be subject to injury from the awns.