Hello Kent & All.
I might add my two cents worth as a livestock producer in Missouri and
coming from a horse background.

>I can offer some info about the clovers.  The presence of coumarin in sweet
clover makes it less palatable to livestock.

If you are keeping livestock of any kind you do not need (nor is it
recomended ) to pasture on a field of drilled in clover like the original
poster said he was doing. Sell for hay!

A pasture mix suited for the livestock you are raising is a better choice.

Horses etc. will get too fat ( foaming at the mouth is a certain sign of too
much clover in  the field), cattle could bloat (stuck many a cow and let the
air out while waiting for the vet and what a smell!) on feilds mostly clover
unless they have been on  the field on season.

Not *all* horses and cattle are bothered by fields mostly clover.

>Alsike clover can cause photosensitivity and liver damage in horses, so it
should not be included in horse hay or pasture mixtures.

Actually is included in many pasture mixes (MFA for one) but not in a amount
considered a problem.

If you think beekeepers can not agree on issues then bring up hay around
horse people. Each has a different idea and by the time the issue gets back
around the room the first horse people have changed their minds!


>Birdsfoot trefoil is a non-bloating legume best suited for permanent
pasture situations.

Interesting. I have never seen used for pasture in Missouri and Missouri is
the second largest cow/calf state in the U.S..I will start suggesting its
use as birdsfoot trefoil is an excellent and dependable honey plant. The
honey I have been told when single source is not as high a grade of honey as
our clover honey. Birdsfoot trefoil is around in areas around filelds in
places and I see the bees working the plant.

>. There are three general types of white clover: ladino,white dutch and
small wild white.

The small wild white is mainly what I see. Burns up easily. Most farmers in
the Midwest buy the red clover seed as the farmers which combine the seed
sell the seed for around forty eight cents a pound in bulk. Lowest price
clover seed in the state.

Not a dependable honey plant in our area until after baled or mowed and the
next bunch of blooms are stunted and smaller.

 Ladino is included in some pasture mixes but in a very small amount. I wish
the cattleman & farmers would stop the love affair with red clover and the
Missouri road department would stop the love affair with crown vetch. There
are better choices to help the beekeeper!

I have been told the bees work crown vetch north of us in Iowa but I have
never seen the bees work crown vetch in our area.

The above is only my observations for my area. A couple hundred miles in any
direction could be different. What are others observations beside Kent &
mine?

Bob

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