Pigweed Poisoning

[Coyote Whisperer]

We've got a new cowboy at the small starter yard i work for and lately when he has a dead on his side he's been coming up with the wackiest reasons of why they died. It couldn't just be he missed a resp. So my question is this the last one he had he called it pigweed poisoning? I've never heard of that in my life he said it was full of little black seeds or seed shells. I was thinking what he saw was the black parts of cotton seed hulls. Anyway this calf was knowhere near any pigweed here and it isn't seeded out yet anyway. These cattle came from TX somewhere he told the boss that they are seeded out in TX and thats what killed it. Anyway the boss just eats up anything this guy says and I joined on here to find out if this new cowboy is full of it.

Thanks
Jeff

 

[Beefy]

my cows eat a lot of pigweed when it is tender. then they browse on the seed heads some too. pigweed is poisonous to cattle. i dont think i've ever lost one to pigweed poisoning though, but i cant say for sure.

 

[dun]

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/db ... ies=cattle

Scroll down to Amarantus. Theoryetically the leaves are the poisonous parts. But I've seen other sites that claim the entire plant is toxic

 

[FlaAngus]

my cows must be pretty smart then. i've never had problems with them eating anything poisonous, and i've got some gypmsome (pretty sure i spelled it wrong) weed under a couple of fences, can't seem to get rid of it.

 

[mnmtranching]

Red Root Pigweed seems to be drought resistant. In the area where I winter cows it grows thick and tall. I have cut it, baled it grazed it. Sometimes that's all the cows are eating. I've read it's poisonous. Cows like it and I've not had problems.

 

[dun]

Red Root Pigweed seems to be drought resistant. In the area where I winter cows it grows thick and tall. I have cut it, baled it grazed it. Sometimes that's all the cows are eating. I've read it's poisonous. Cows like it and I've not had problems.

That's what I baled year before last and the neighbor hauled it off and ended up feeding it to his cows. Last year it was pretty thick but not as bad as it had been. Hit it hard with 2,4-d and this year the grass took off in that field and hardly any pigweed. Ah, but mares tail and ragweed is another story

 

[cfpinz]

Red Root Pigweed seems to be drought resistant.

It sure is, that's about all the browse we have now in places. Likes to grow where I feed during the winter and scrape in the spring. Cows love to strip the seeds. If we don't get any rain soon I may see if the Co-Op can order me a couple bags to no-till in for fall stockpile.

cfpinz