I've got more of it, than I'd like to see. They say don't spray it if cows are around. They're more inclined to eat it, as it wilts. I'd like it gone, but you can't bushhog where this is at. Am I worried for nothing.
Perilla mint/purple mint toxicity
- Thread starter Bigfoot
- Start date
We were in the dairy business till 2002 and have had beef since then. Plenty of mint in shady areas around edges of fields. We have never had an issue and it wasn't until a few years ago that I found out it was toxic. Undoubtedly they aren't bad about eating it. Hopefully your luck will be as good.
talltimber
Well-known member
I have a considerable amount of it. All around the shady edges, and some out in the pasture away from shade, spots of it. I've not had any trouble out of it, and as far as I know, neither did my folks. I've never noticed cows picking around on it at all. I have worried about them picking up some of it after i've bush hogged though, but I guess it's not happened enough to cause problems.
Craig Miller
Well-known member
They won't hardly touch it right now but when winter gets hers they are more interested when it's green and everything else is brown.
greybeard
Well-known member
Got it here, and always have had in the wooded area or a close variety of it anyway. Cows have never touched it as far as I know, even after it wilts from spraying. From what I gathered in a Oklahoma St Univ article, it takes ingesting a pound or 2 to cause problems, but if anyone has cows that likes it, wouldn't take long for that. Here's the article:
http://www.newson6.com/story/26631508/p ... oma-cattle
OSAGE COUNTY, Oklahoma - There's a poisonous weed that is killing Oklahoma cattle, and it's been especially bad this year.
With rainy weather this summer the toxic plant is growing fast, and the more mature it gets, the more attractive it is to cattle to eat. The bigger it gets the more toxic it becomes.
Rancher Gary Chambers' pasture should have cattle on it, but he's moved them away, and the toxic weed is the reason. The weed killed 16 head of cattle.
“It kind of threw us in a tizzy, trying to figure out what was going on,” Chambers said.
The weed is called Perilla Mint. It's bitter most of the time, so cattle usually won't eat it, but when it blooms it become more palatable and it took a toll on Chambers' herd.
"Well, when you're sitting there and watching about a $2,500, $3,000 animal die, and knowing you can't do anything with it, and the financial part of it, it hits you pretty good,” he said.
The OSU extension service is warning ranchers to watch for the Perilla Mint, and urges them to use a broadleaf pesticide, relocate cattle, or even pull up the toxic plant by the roots if they have to.
Brushogging can also help.
Will Cubbage, OSU Extension Educator said, "But it needs to be done in such a way that it's really finely chopped."
The weed isn't native to Oklahoma, but made its way to our state from southeast Asia some time ago. This year it's worse.
"It's another case of something that was brought here as an ornamental plant a long time ago, and just escaped,” Cubbage said.
Cattle develop pneumonia type symptoms. The toxin hits hard and hits fast.
"The toxin goes into the bloodstream, and goes straight to the lungs and causes like emphysema. They can breathe in, but they can't breathe out and the animal essentially drowns,” said Chambers.
Experts say the plant usually grows in shaded areas, near water. It's more prolific in eastern Oklahoma, but some has been found as far west as Ponca City. It's also toxic for other livestock.
Only a few pounds of the Perilla Mint can be deadly.
http://www.newson6.com/story/26631508/p ... oma-cattle
OSAGE COUNTY, Oklahoma - There's a poisonous weed that is killing Oklahoma cattle, and it's been especially bad this year.
With rainy weather this summer the toxic plant is growing fast, and the more mature it gets, the more attractive it is to cattle to eat. The bigger it gets the more toxic it becomes.
Rancher Gary Chambers' pasture should have cattle on it, but he's moved them away, and the toxic weed is the reason. The weed killed 16 head of cattle.
“It kind of threw us in a tizzy, trying to figure out what was going on,” Chambers said.
The weed is called Perilla Mint. It's bitter most of the time, so cattle usually won't eat it, but when it blooms it become more palatable and it took a toll on Chambers' herd.
"Well, when you're sitting there and watching about a $2,500, $3,000 animal die, and knowing you can't do anything with it, and the financial part of it, it hits you pretty good,” he said.
The OSU extension service is warning ranchers to watch for the Perilla Mint, and urges them to use a broadleaf pesticide, relocate cattle, or even pull up the toxic plant by the roots if they have to.
Brushogging can also help.
Will Cubbage, OSU Extension Educator said, "But it needs to be done in such a way that it's really finely chopped."
The weed isn't native to Oklahoma, but made its way to our state from southeast Asia some time ago. This year it's worse.
"It's another case of something that was brought here as an ornamental plant a long time ago, and just escaped,” Cubbage said.
Cattle develop pneumonia type symptoms. The toxin hits hard and hits fast.
"The toxin goes into the bloodstream, and goes straight to the lungs and causes like emphysema. They can breathe in, but they can't breathe out and the animal essentially drowns,” said Chambers.
Experts say the plant usually grows in shaded areas, near water. It's more prolific in eastern Oklahoma, but some has been found as far west as Ponca City. It's also toxic for other livestock.
Only a few pounds of the Perilla Mint can be deadly.
I've always had some. Its paticularly thick this year. Two extremely wet years in a row, has definatly given the advantage to weeds here. Hard for a cool season grass to compete with a warm season weed.
One of my management strategies has been to let herbecide control weeds, and the cows clip the grass. It started raining here one day, and it just didn't stop. I traveled for work a bunch, and now I've got a hot mess.
One of my management strategies has been to let herbecide control weeds, and the cows clip the grass. It started raining here one day, and it just didn't stop. I traveled for work a bunch, and now I've got a hot mess.
Lucky_P
Well-known member
Had a call about it this morning, bigfoot, from a retired animal science prof. that you probably know.
I have some in a couple of paddocks on my place, one of which is the one the cows are in right now. I'm not worried about it at the moment, with all the rain we've had... I rarely, if ever, see problems with it unless it's hot and dry and the perilla mint is the only green thing (other than ragweed and sowthistle) in the pastures. They just don't mess with it.
Patches here are small enough that I've either buzzed 'em off with the weedeater(probably faster than spraying 'em) or even pulled 'em up by hand.
I don't know what plant Mr Miller's talking about ... once it goes to seed here - or at least after the first killing frost - it's gonna go brown and crispy... sure won't be green in the winter.
I have some in a couple of paddocks on my place, one of which is the one the cows are in right now. I'm not worried about it at the moment, with all the rain we've had... I rarely, if ever, see problems with it unless it's hot and dry and the perilla mint is the only green thing (other than ragweed and sowthistle) in the pastures. They just don't mess with it.
Patches here are small enough that I've either buzzed 'em off with the weedeater(probably faster than spraying 'em) or even pulled 'em up by hand.
I don't know what plant Mr Miller's talking about ... once it goes to seed here - or at least after the first killing frost - it's gonna go brown and crispy... sure won't be green in the winter.
Craig Miller
Well-known member
Reworded: what I should have said is it was late in the year after my grass was brown. Probably "fall" and not "winter". Point is they will eat it then if it is around and they don't have any green.Lucky_P":1jcuxyvo said:
fitz
Well-known member
I hate the stuff. Never had any problem with cattle eating it green. I sprayed it with 24D with them in the pasture without problems. I rotated my grazing so usually tried to spray after they were moved. It has such a seed bank that it's hard to get a handle on it. Probably the most invasive plant I dealt with. Once it seeds you're best served to shut the mower down otherwise you're just broadcasting it.
I've known of several folks around here experiencing major problems with it in dry hay during winter feeding. If I ever ran into it on hay ground I bypassed that area.
I've known of several folks around here experiencing major problems with it in dry hay during winter feeding. If I ever ran into it on hay ground I bypassed that area.
