Grazing Johnson Grass after frost

[pricefarm]

I have a field that has some Johnson grass in it. Last week we got several frosts on it. It's still green but you can till the frost has hurt it. Do I need to wait till it's completely brown before I can safely graze it? My cows will eat every bit of Johnson grass before they touch the other grasses.

 

[kenny thomas]

Unless you have added nitrogen lately I wouldn't be very concerned.

 

[hurleyjd]

I have a field that has some Johnson grass in it. Last week we got several frosts on it. It's still green but you can till the frost has hurt it. Do I need to wait till it's completely brown before I can safely graze it? My cows will eat every bit of Johnson grass before they touch the other grasses.

I would be concerned with prussic acid and not nitrate poison. I would not graze it until sure.

From the Baxter Bulletin

Do not graze frost-damaged sorghum or johnsongrass for at least seven days after the first killing frost. It is best to delay grazing until the frosted material is completely dried out and paper brown colored. ... Do not graze wilted plants (drought stressed) or plants with young regrowth.Oct 18, 2016

 

[skyhightree1]

I have a field that has some Johnson grass in it. Last week we got several frosts on it. It's still green but you can till the frost has hurt it. Do I need to wait till it's completely brown before I can safely graze it? My cows will eat every bit of Johnson grass before they touch the other grasses.

Mine are on some now where I had taken pics earlier this year

 

[callmefence]

General rule is two weeks of regrowth after most recent frost. Or a week after hard killing frost.

 

[pricefarm]

Turned them out on it today. It has turned browner than what I had thought. They where still eatting it

 

[kenny thomas]

I still think it is fine. As much rain as you have had this year it sure isn't drought stressed.

 

[pricefarm]

I checked the cows this evening there all still alive.
Yes Kenny we have had plenty of rain if this keeps up it sure will be a wet muddy mess this winter.

 

[MtnCows93]

Ive got my cows on cornstalks right now waiting on a killing freeze before i let them out in the pasture, i was told you cant graze JG after a frost because prussic acid and after it freezes its fine to graze, so yall had frost and grazed it and nothing happened?

 

[pricefarm]

About a week or so ago it frosted several mornings but it wasn't a freeze. It was enough that it had turned pretty much brown but still had some green in it. The cows are fine. But they haven't ate much of it. Normally that would be the first thing that they would eat

 

[MtnCows93]

About a week or so ago it frosted several mornings but it wasn't a freeze. It was enough that it had turned pretty much brown but still had some green in it. The cows are fine. But they haven't ate much of it. Normally that would be the first thing that they would eat

yea i guess it aint as poison as they say, my cows eat wild cherry like crazy where i cut trees and stump sprouts come back. never had a issue with it. theres times when cherry leaves were at least 25% of their diet

 

[Banjo]

About a week or so ago it frosted several mornings but it wasn't a freeze. It was enough that it had turned pretty much brown but still had some green in it. The cows are fine. But they haven't ate much of it. Normally that would be the first thing that they would eat

yea i guess it aint as poison as they say, my cows eat wild cherry like crazy where i cut trees and stump sprouts come back. never had a issue with it. theres times when cherry leaves were at least 25% of their diet

As long as they are green or eaten fresh off the tree they aren't toxic....its when they become wilted that they are toxic.

One redeeming quality about wild cherry trees is that the limbs tend to stay connected to the tree if the limb breaks....just enough for it (the broken limb) to stay alive and not let the leaves wilt. Most of the time....I'm sure there are exceptions.