I got a major buttercup problem in my main hay field and I use 2-4-D for that. Really reluctant to spray the pastures at all unless I'm desperate.
Preferred weed spray?
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I couldn't find quarts of GNHL online. I have some people I sell hay and do stuff for always asking. I was going to send them a link.
Kenny Thomas taught me, you have to spray buttercup in the late fall to be effective.
Lee VanRoss
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I do not know Bob Kinford but he is spot on with his comments on grazing. Albeit labor intensive it is my experience that the more
cattle you can put in an area for a day the better the result will be both for the soil and your financial return. Cattle, will for the most
part, when turned into a large area, will determine the boundaries first then sort out and eat the most desirable forage first then down
the line in descending order to the point of survival. I found that when cattle are turned into a smaller area per head they tend to
concentrate on what is immediately in front of them, ostensively; rather than being forced to eat something even less desirable.
Please do not take this as a study on the ability of cattle to reason! Yes, there are plants that a cow cannot eat or at least should not
be forced to eat. The availability of good drinking water is tantamount, especially where rotational grazing is involved or as my
dad would say, ''All signs fail in dry weather''. What ever methodology of grazing you use do not let them grub it into the ground..
Even so, by doing what I prescribed in the previous remark you will find that the weeds will propagate with a resulting paucity of
desirable forage. Just try not to let iron and oil get between the sun and the ground any more than absolutely necessary,
Save that space for the cows!
cattle you can put in an area for a day the better the result will be both for the soil and your financial return. Cattle, will for the most
part, when turned into a large area, will determine the boundaries first then sort out and eat the most desirable forage first then down
the line in descending order to the point of survival. I found that when cattle are turned into a smaller area per head they tend to
concentrate on what is immediately in front of them, ostensively; rather than being forced to eat something even less desirable.
Please do not take this as a study on the ability of cattle to reason! Yes, there are plants that a cow cannot eat or at least should not
be forced to eat. The availability of good drinking water is tantamount, especially where rotational grazing is involved or as my
dad would say, ''All signs fail in dry weather''. What ever methodology of grazing you use do not let them grub it into the ground..
Even so, by doing what I prescribed in the previous remark you will find that the weeds will propagate with a resulting paucity of
desirable forage. Just try not to let iron and oil get between the sun and the ground any more than absolutely necessary,
Save that space for the cows!
What you also and most importantly want to check is the effects of the herbicides you use on your livestock, especially the fetuses and the newborns. Pesticides are what cause newborn grazing animals, such as bovines, sheep, goats, equines and camelids to have underdeveloped jaws, either the upper facial bones, especially the premaxillary bone on ruminants, resulting in an underbite or underdeveloped lower jaw forward of the premolars resulting in an overbite. I have observed photos of several calves that have an obvious underbite on this website, so livestock owners should be more careful of what chemicals they use on their pastures and hay. Any herbicide that disrupts normal fetal development in livestock is concerning because it can do the same or similar to developing human fetuses. Most livestock owners with children do not want that to happen which makes the best reason to be very careful of what is used. Speaking of children, your child might like to be able to see Monarch butterflies when they are old enough. Monarch butterflies are almost gone because nearly all of the milkweed their caterpillars need to eat has been killed by herbicides. Hopefully, those who have some milkweed can leave a couple of patches of milkweed on your land for the Monarchs, so they don't go completely extinct. Thank you for your consideration for newborns and butterflies.
Lee VanRoss
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J Hoy> I have found through my rotational grazing program that cattle will eat a certain amount of milkweed so while I do try to
keep it under control I do not attempt to eradicate it and I do consider the Monarch in doing so. If I do spray a grazing area it is
usually after I remove the stock. I try to use a 35-45 day rotation for other than native grass which I try to utilize in midsummer only.
I hope you are in a Monarch flyway. It can be an awesome thing to behold.. LVR
keep it under control I do not attempt to eradicate it and I do consider the Monarch in doing so. If I do spray a grazing area it is
usually after I remove the stock. I try to use a 35-45 day rotation for other than native grass which I try to utilize in midsummer only.
I hope you are in a Monarch flyway. It can be an awesome thing to behold.. LVR
bird dog
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J Hay with all due respect, there is plenty of milkweed around the area to feed the Monarch caterpillars. The herbicide or more likely pesticides might be a problem but I can assure you they have plenty of plants to feed on. There is not near enough folks that spray let alone use a spray that will kill milkweed. Its a tough plant. Try to find something else to blame it on. There are lots of choices, Climate change, oil and gas exploration, urban sprawl, automatic weapons, fire ants, CO2, hell maybe Trump caused it.
Bob Kinford
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Thank you. No one is always right. That said I've never seen where sprays actually cured the problem either. Too many people spent thousands of dollars every year spraying the same areas only to have them keep coming back. Weeds are a sign of poor soil health. Essentially weeds are telling you there is a problem with the biology of your soil. Life begets life, and death begets death. Even if you don't manage to get your cows to eating weeds, packing them in for just enough time they bed down will do more for your soil and grass than spraying, without the unintended consequences of herbicides.
Dont forget wind turbines and the loss of land to massive solar farms.... and the big kahuna... urban sprawl.
Dont forget wind turbines and the loss of land to massive solar farms.... and the big kahuna... urban sprawl
Can you teach them to eat huisatche, mesquite, oak, etc?
If not I better stick with the herbicide.I agree with what you saying and if you have the right property allocated for that with plenty of resources... ya... it can work. For us out here in the grind with cattle it's a tough game.
Shoestring
Well-known member
Bois d' Arc, or known as Osage. I start leaking blood just typing the nameDont forget wind turbines and the loss of land to massive solar farms.... and the big kahuna... urban sprawl
Can you teach them to eat huisatche, mesquite, oak, etc?
I agree with what you saying and if you have the right property allocated for that with plenty of resources... ya... it can work. For us out here in the grind with cattle it's a tough game.
NewMoo
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Anyone have a problem with perilla mint? It's potentially deadly to livestock if ingested. It's slowly taking over one of our more forest bordered pastures.
Luckily, livestock won't eat it unless it gets dry and there isn't much else to eat. A little research suggests 2-4D or Grazon. I've used Eraser on some patches in a small holding pen with good results; the only problem is it kills everything it touches. I have to be careful not to kill the good stuff.
Thoughts on using one of the two I mentioned above as an alternative? I really don't fancy the $140 per 2 gallons of Grazon! No idea on the price of the other.
Thistle is also a problem, but it has already bloomed, exploded and died for this year. I tackled a few small sections of it this year. I'll be more prepared for it next year.
Luckily, livestock won't eat it unless it gets dry and there isn't much else to eat. A little research suggests 2-4D or Grazon. I've used Eraser on some patches in a small holding pen with good results; the only problem is it kills everything it touches. I have to be careful not to kill the good stuff.
Thoughts on using one of the two I mentioned above as an alternative? I really don't fancy the $140 per 2 gallons of Grazon! No idea on the price of the other.
Thistle is also a problem, but it has already bloomed, exploded and died for this year. I tackled a few small sections of it this year. I'll be more prepared for it next year.
2-4D is cheap. I have no idea about how it works with perilla mint, but I would go the 2-4d Ester route first.
Edit, I found this: Herbicides, such as 2,4-D (low-volatile ester formulations) or tank-mixtures containing both 2,4-D and dicamba (several formulations) along with a surfactant, provide good control when applied in early spring.
kenny thomas
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A good point about applying early in the spring. Young and tender is much easier to kill. Thistle is easy killed in the fall.
BC
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Here is a list of herbicides with trde names, active ingredients, grazing restictions and whether it requires a pecticide license (in Texas)
NewMoo
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Interesting point about thistle. It bloomed and "exploded" earlier this year. It has completely died off now.
Bob Kinford
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Mainstream ideology brought to you by public indoctr...er education and marketing.Nice to see you on here Bob. Welcome to the black hole of mainstream ideology
Bob Kinford
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They utilize those during fairly short durations at different times Brute23.Dont forget wind turbines and the loss of land to massive solar farms.... and the big kahuna... urban sprawl
Can you teach them to eat huisatche, mesquite, oak, etc?
I agree with what you saying and if you have the right property allocated for that with plenty of resources... ya... it can work. For us out here in the grind with cattle it's a tough game.
