Grass burrs and cows

[dane12]

I am cutting a new field(2nd cutting)planted giant Bermuda in late April first cutting was ok with some weeds so i fert and spayed.
now i got no weeds but a ton of grass burrs.
A. where the heck did they all come from they are knee high and nasty
B.can i feed my cows the hay with the burrs in it.
c.how do i get rid of them.do i really have to do a total kill on that field.

thanks in advance for your help

 

[dane12]

dane12, is your stand of Bermuda a little thin or is it super thick? (or, how many bales per acre did you get the last time baling?)

in some areas it is a little thin and in other spots it is real thick
about 25 60# sq bales

 

[msscamp]

A. where the heck did they all come from they are knee high and nasty

Transported in from vehicles, tractors, foot traffic, wind, etc.

B.can i feed my cows the hay with the burrs in it.

Yes, they will eat the grass and sort out the sandburrs.

c.how do i get rid of them.do i really have to do a total kill on that field.

No, you don't have to do a total kill on the field. Try flaming your field in the early spring before the sandburrs(grassburrs) start growing. This will go quite a ways towards eliminating the source of new growth. Meanwhile, your desired grasses will have the opportunity to become thicker, due to less competition, and help to choke out the sandburrs. We flamed our field 2 years running, and have now gone from probably 40% overall infestation (100% in places), to darned near zero!

thanks in advance for your help

 

[MikeC]

Those can't be Sandburs, can they?

Sandburs grow very close to the ground...............

 

[msscamp]

Those can't be Sandburs, can they?

Sandburs grow very close to the ground...............

No, they don't. Sandburrs are a grassy type of plant with a rather spikey, spreading, unique growth habit. They have jointed leaves, they can reach 6, maybe 8" in height, and they produce long 'shoots' (for lack of a better word) that contain up to maybe 20 round, spikey stickers. I would venture to guess that you're thinking of goatheads - aka puncture weeds, in this part of the world - which have a flat, radiating, expanding type growth pattern, and produce a larger type of seed which has something like 6 to 8 'prongs' (again, for lack of a better word) extending from it. Unlike sandburrs - which are in the grass family - goatheads are easy to kill, 2-4d will take care of them in a heartbeat.

 

[novatech]

Just baled for a friend. The tires were covered in grass burr stickers. I have no idea how cattle eat, it but they do. I do not know about the nutritional value, but the farmers around say it makes good hay. :roll:

Here is a site that may help.
http://www.enviromateinc.com/sandburr.asp

 

[MikeC]

Those can't be Sandburs, can they?

Sandburs grow very close to the ground...............

No, they don't. Sandburrs are a grassy type of plant with a rather spikey, spreading, unique growth habit. They have jointed leaves, they can reach 6, maybe 8" in height, and they produce long 'shoots' (for lack of a better word) that contain up to maybe 20 round, spikey stickers. I would venture to guess that you're thinking of goatheads - aka puncture weeds, in this part of the world - which have a flat, radiating, expanding type growth pattern, and produce a larger type of seed which has something like 6 to 8 'prongs' (again, for lack of a better word) extending from it. Unlike sandburrs - which are in the grass family - goatheads are easy to kill, 2-4d will take care of them in a heartbeat.

The only sandburs I have experienced grew close to the ground in pasture that was heavily grazed.

Whe I rotated the cows out and the grass grew up to about a foot, the grass shaded them out, I guess, because I couldn't find them anymore.

 

[dun]

Look anythng like this?:

http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/xanst.htm

Porcupine eggs!

 

[hurleyjd]

I am cutting a new field(2nd cutting)planted giant Bermuda in late April first cutting was ok with some weeds so i fert and spayed.
now i got no weeds but a ton of grass burrs.
A. where the heck did they all come from they are knee high and nasty
B.can i feed my cows the hay with the burrs in it.
c.how do i get rid of them.do i really have to do a total kill on that field.

thanks in advance for your help

Information trom TAMU on controlling grassburs.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plan ... ssbur.html

 

[BC]

I am cutting a new field(2nd cutting)planted giant Bermuda in late April first cutting was ok with some weeds so i fert and spayed.
now i got no weeds but a ton of grass burrs.
A. where the heck did they all come from they are knee high and nasty
B.can i feed my cows the hay with the burrs in it.
c.how do i get rid of them.do i really have to do a total kill on that field.

thanks in advance for your help

Information trom TAMU on controlling grassburs.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plan ... ssbur.html

Be cautious in what you use. Many products labeled for lawns cannot be used in pastures. READ the label and see if there are grazing restrictions or cautionary statements about not feeding grass clippings to livestock.

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

dane12 and others, for non-turfgrass situations you can read what TAMU's David Inbody says about grass burrs, in response to similar questions, at the message board link below -- essentially it's what others have opined, that the best method is to have a strong crop of desired grasses to crowd out the grass (sand) burrs.

http://cnrit.tamu.edu/discussion/cgrm/m ... 1147871306

 

[dane12]

"We flamed our field 2 years running"


what does flaming means you burn the field?

 

[dane12]

Look anythng like this?:

http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/xanst.htm

no does not look like that at all

 

[msscamp]

"We flamed our field 2 years running"


what does flaming means you burn the field?

Sort of. As opposed to simply setting the field on fire, flaming entails dragging a specialized implement that sits about 1-2"(rough estimate) off the ground behind a tractor that has hoses to dispense a flammable fuel - I'm not sure which one, though - from a tank also mounted on the implement, into nozzles and a pilot light type of ignition source. When the pilot light is enabled, the flamer emits flames from many nozzles spaced about an inch apart straight down onto the ground for about an 8 - 10' width(possibly wider), and burns any and all dry residue - including any loose sand burrs, thus preventing them from germinating and creating new plants.

 

[novatech]

Look anythng like this?:

http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/xanst.htm

Porcupine eggs!

Here is a pic.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl= ... n%26sa%3DN

 

[tytower]

Nah , You just look at the field and SHOUT real loud

 

[dane12]

Here is a pic.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl= ... n%26sa%3DN[/quote]
YEB THAT IS IT

 

[novatech]

Nah , You just look at the field and SHOUT real loud

All words with four letters?

 

[novatech]

I am cutting a new field(2nd cutting)planted giant Bermuda in late April first cutting was ok with some weeds so i fert and spayed.
now i got no weeds but a ton of grass burrs.
A. where the heck did they all come from they are knee high and nasty
B.can i feed my cows the hay with the burrs in it.
c.how do i get rid of them.do i really have to do a total kill on that field.

thanks in advance for your help

Information trom TAMU on controlling grassburs.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plan ... ssbur.html

This website is for turf grass.
WARNING
Do not use MSMA on pasture. It is highly toxic to livestock.

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/livestock/an ... estock.htm
MSMA contains arsenic.