pdubdo
Well-known member
Finally got my 1st 4 heifers on a 55 acre pasture. Maybe up to 10% of my grass is big stands of 5-6 ft high johnsongrass. There is no way my few cows are going to eat all of it this summer. I'm in southern Oklahoma. I've read lots of articles that say, "drought/freeze stress creates more toxicity/keep you cattle away from it during these times". But the only way I can keep my cows out of this grass is to pen them up and feed them hay. Here are my questions:
1. How much drought stress is "stress"--is 2 weeks of no rain gonna kill my cows? or is it when the grass starts turning brown from drought/heat?
2. I guess I need to start gradually killing off this grass (I can't just plow or spray, reseed and start over). Would you begin repeated mowing the stands this summer? Wait till Fall to attack it? Spot spray (which can cause plant stress)? Sell the cows and work on better grass, then re-buy?
3. For all the johnsongrass that's around, I don't hear about cattle dying off by the hundreds...how much concern/worry do I need to have about all this?
I know it's lots of questions-appreciate input on any one of these!
1. How much drought stress is "stress"--is 2 weeks of no rain gonna kill my cows? or is it when the grass starts turning brown from drought/heat?
2. I guess I need to start gradually killing off this grass (I can't just plow or spray, reseed and start over). Would you begin repeated mowing the stands this summer? Wait till Fall to attack it? Spot spray (which can cause plant stress)? Sell the cows and work on better grass, then re-buy?
3. For all the johnsongrass that's around, I don't hear about cattle dying off by the hundreds...how much concern/worry do I need to have about all this?
I know it's lots of questions-appreciate input on any one of these!