Antinutritional factors
Cocksfoot is free of alkaloids and mycotoxins (Barnes et al., 2007).
Bloat mitigation
The association of cocksfoot with alfalfa can help to reduce the incidence of bloat. In steers, for example, the presence of 25 to 50% cocksfoot in an alfalfa pasture reduced frothy bloat by 70 to 90% (Veira et al., 2010).
Grass tetany
Cocksfoot is a lesser magnesium accumulator than other grasses, notably fescue and is therefore more prone to be associated with grass tetany or hypomagnesaemia (Vignau-Loustau et al., 2008; Cherney et al., 2002).