Round-up herbicide

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peacemaker

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Hi,
I was planning on weed eating & then spraying round up along the fence that runs along the road. about 2500ft
I noticed after spraying around the house some of the cow's were trying to get to those areas.
(I think round up has salt in it.)
Does anyone no if this will make them sick or bloat.
All it say's on the label is that it can cause temporary gastrointestinal irritation if eaten in large amounts. Is there a better or safer product. I sure dont want to be the cause of making them all sick.
They get plenty of salt & minerals but I guess they just found it & liked it. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks
 
Roundup (R) is one of several brands now on the market (since the original patent expired) of which the active ingredient is "Glyphosate".

Any pesticide (herbicide, insecticide, rodenticide, aquacide, etc.) can be toxic to animals (and obviously people) if ingested, inhaled, or left on the skin.

For a herbicide to be most effective it should be applied on actively growing weeds BEFORE they are mowed, and when the ambient temperatures are (probably) 70-80 deg. F. plus. Then, after probably a day or two the weeds can be "safely" mowed down since the herbicide should have translocated to the weed's root system.

For safety sake, I'd keep livestock off of the area where a pesticide was applied for the recommended label time for the product.
 
in cornputer geek-speak it is stated "RTFM"
read the manual....and pay attention to it ! those science guys that write that stuff are trying to tell you something. read the label....
 
Yes, read the label. And you will notice on the label that Roundup (in a spot spray application like yours >10% of total area in pasture) has a zero pre harvest interval. This means you can spray while cattle are grazing. Do I think it is a good thing, no, but in won't hurt them unless they were literally drinking the stuff. Even so I would try and keep them away from that spot for even a few hours, maybe throw a few bales of hay on the other side of the field. Roundup has a very short half life, so any that is not taken up into the plant dissipates quickly.

Also like RAB said, it is most effective if you spray at least 24 (preferable 48-72) hours before mowing as roundup is only absorbed through the leaves. As far as other products go, Roundup or any glyphosate is about as safe and environmentaly friendly as you can get. There are really no other common herbicides that are as safe for the person doing the application, ground or surface water, and animals.
 
Read the MSDS, you will quickly see that regular table salt is more lethal to livestock than the active ingredient.

However, different brands use different surfectants to help it stick, and these can cause problems depending what they are. The cheaper brands usually have the more toxic type, but read the label.

Do you guys have Roundup Biactive? Or Weedmaster DUO? They are both safe for spraying ponds and wetlands, and the surfectants are also very safe for you and livestock.

Cran
 
Thanks for the advice.
I'll spray before mowing and try to keep them off the area.
I read the label and like you said it sounded pretty safe I was just a little concerned that it could possibly cause bloat.
Thanks again.
 
Where RU gives trouble to cattle is after it has been applied and the plant and it goes through a wilting stage. It is much like some of the Sudex family forages after the frost hits it.
Chuckie
 
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