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Blue-green algae
- Thread starter TCRanch
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And yes, I get what you're saying. But with the watershed 60 acres, we had to fence off all access. Running a pump to a stock tank would be a minimum half mile. As of now, they can drink from the creek, fountain at the barn and south pond in that pasture. That said, I talked to my vet yesterday and, assuming the forecast is correct, we should get rain & lower temps probably tomorrow evening and should be able to confidently open access by the weekend.
Travlr
Well-known member
That quickly? Really? That's amazing.
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
I certainly hope your right!
I'm gonna wash all the cars and leave the square baler outside in hopes it pours for several days!
OP
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It usually goes away within 2-4 weeks, closer to 2 if weather conditions change, i.e. rain, lower temps, higher wind. Weather sources are already posting alerts for potential flooding, starting tomorrow, and a 20 degree drop in temp. Yes, please!!
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
I'll dance around in it stark ar$e naked!
Like a raving friggin lunatic!
Sorry.
No pics of that....
Can't remember being so excited about rain
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Wrong!!!!! I haven't seen a trace in over a week and was going to open the gates and allow access today. Glad I checked first. Not only is it back in the southwest corner, there's a little on the east bank. We did get rain - a whopping .5". And cooler temps - until Wed when it's back to 100. I have some unhappy cows, but it's better than dead ones.
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Well that stinks!
We got rain 2 early mornings til 10 or noon.
Not as much as I would've liked. But more than half inch. So much for flooding rains. Drama weather forecasters strike again!
Am I seeing things?? Are those friggin oysters?
OP
OP
I think they're some kind of mussel. They're all over the bank and generally open, but occasionally I'll find one only partially open with a critter still inside.
Lucky_P
Well-known member
That's probably one of the 'heelsplitter' mussel species. There's a bunch of them.
They're all over the pond here at the house, and at our lake place, 20 miles away, but I also find quite a few 'pistol-grip' mussels in the swimming area around the boat dock there.
They're all over the pond here at the house, and at our lake place, 20 miles away, but I also find quite a few 'pistol-grip' mussels in the swimming area around the boat dock there.
OP
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So far, so good. Opened access yesterday, about half the herd is at the lake this morning and no dead cows. 50% chance of rain this afternoon and slightly cooler temps. We'll see about that.
OP
OP
Older pic but a friend sent this to me, and it gives you a better idea why our only real option is to wait it out. It's been almost 2 weeks and the water looks good. We finally got some rain this morning and cooler temps so hopefully we're done with that nightmare for the year.
I didn't know the algae hurt cattle? Do they have to eat it or drink the water or what?
Pretty sure we have it in some also.
Pretty sure we have it in some also.
OP
OP
Unless you check your ponds every day, the first sign is generally a bunch of dead cattle.
The algae is always there but has to have the right conditions to bloom before it becomes toxic, similar to potentially toxic grass/forages like johnsongrass.
Pretty good explanation in Beef Magazine:
Be watchful for toxic blue-green algae in stock ponds
Blue-green algae blooms can devastate cattle producers.
www.beefmagazine.com
CowboyRam
Well-known member
Last year they were advertising on the radio to watch out for the blue/green algae as it was toxic to drink or even come in contract with.
wbvs58
Well-known member
That's a nice body of water to have TC.
Ken
Ken
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Quite a few lakes in Kansas have it and they've essentially shut down. I certainly wouldn't eat a fish in a condemned lake, even though the algae is generally around the banks. We didn't get a lot of dead fish, but quite a few turtles.
greybeard
Well-known member
When I found opened mussel shells it was usually because raccoons had drug them out and opened them and feasted.
Pretty common. Those shells were pretty thin & smooth compared to a rough and thick true oyster shell.
Pretty common. Those shells were pretty thin & smooth compared to a rough and thick true oyster shell.
OP
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Have a call into my vet but it's after hours. From what I've read, toxic algae can also be orange/reddish in appearance, generally in the early stage of bloom. This was on the east shore of the watershed, noticed it late this afternoon. There was only a handful of cows/calves at the lake and I moved them out, shut off access except for the west bank (and they all seem perfectly fine).
Anyone else with experience on toxic algae? Am I over-thinking or in panic mode?
Side note: nothing but an occasional .5" of rain and rotten hot. You can see how low the lake is. Still have water in the ponds, but not a lot.
Anyone else with experience on toxic algae? Am I over-thinking or in panic mode?
Side note: nothing but an occasional .5" of rain and rotten hot. You can see how low the lake is. Still have water in the ponds, but not a lot.
greybeard
Well-known member
The toxic red algae that sometimes blooms along the gulf coast is usually from a species that does not grow in fresh water.
