Bloat
Cases of bloat have been reported in cattle grazing Persian clover, but not in sheep. The risk of bloat may be reduced by sowing Persian clover with grass in order to reduce the amount of protein-rich legume in the grazed diet, by feeding cattle with dry hay before they enter the sward, by turning cattle out of the stand after midday (to prevent dew or excess moisture) and by using anti-foaming agents such as poloxalene or molasses/urea blocks (Hilton, 2008).
Antinutritional factors
Trifolium resupinatum contains saponins (Simonet et al., 1999) and phenolic compounds (phenolic acids or flavonoids) (Janda et al., 2009; Olezsek et al., 2007) than can be deleterious for the animals. Nevertheless, their levels are generally quite low and should not be a problem, especially when Persian clover hay is mixed with other feeds.