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thistles
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<blockquote data-quote="SRBeef" data-source="post: 669005" data-attributes="member: 7509"><p>What about some plain old steel?</p><p></p><p>When thistles get a certain size it would take extremely potent sprays to really kill a big thistle. I just don't want to use anything potent enough to kill a 3ft diameter thistle sprayed in my pasture where sooner or later I'll be running my cattle which I and others will be eating.</p><p></p><p>As my Grandmother used to tell me when I was a kid: "we are what we eat" That applies to my cattle too.</p><p></p><p>I have actually seen my cattle eat very small thistle plants likle they are candy - IF they are in a rotational grazing system.</p><p></p><p>The key is to keep them from getting too large and going to seed.</p><p></p><p>I am finding that this cool damp spring in the north my pastures, especially the red clover, is growing faster than the cattle can eat it. It then gets stemmy and less paletable. </p><p></p><p>So I am rotating cattle thru the paddocks more rapidly than usual and before they really get it down.</p><p></p><p>I then go in with my flail mower set high at about 4 to 5". The pasture then comes back very nice and even - and in the process I also take the tops off of the thistle. They are not resistant to steel!</p><p></p><p>I haver also gotten into the habit of carrying a simple old style golf club like sicle in the Ranger. When checking the cattle I carry the sicle and take a wack at thistles in places tough to get to with the mower like along and under some fences and in corners mostly to keep themm frtom going to seed. This seems to work and a lot less dangerous than spraying extremely toxic herbicides to try to get big thistles.</p><p></p><p>I like the kerosene idea, will have to try that. Thank you.</p><p></p><p>Jim</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="SRBeef, post: 669005, member: 7509"] What about some plain old steel? When thistles get a certain size it would take extremely potent sprays to really kill a big thistle. I just don't want to use anything potent enough to kill a 3ft diameter thistle sprayed in my pasture where sooner or later I'll be running my cattle which I and others will be eating. As my Grandmother used to tell me when I was a kid: "we are what we eat" That applies to my cattle too. I have actually seen my cattle eat very small thistle plants likle they are candy - IF they are in a rotational grazing system. The key is to keep them from getting too large and going to seed. I am finding that this cool damp spring in the north my pastures, especially the red clover, is growing faster than the cattle can eat it. It then gets stemmy and less paletable. So I am rotating cattle thru the paddocks more rapidly than usual and before they really get it down. I then go in with my flail mower set high at about 4 to 5". The pasture then comes back very nice and even - and in the process I also take the tops off of the thistle. They are not resistant to steel! I haver also gotten into the habit of carrying a simple old style golf club like sicle in the Ranger. When checking the cattle I carry the sicle and take a wack at thistles in places tough to get to with the mower like along and under some fences and in corners mostly to keep themm frtom going to seed. This seems to work and a lot less dangerous than spraying extremely toxic herbicides to try to get big thistles. I like the kerosene idea, will have to try that. Thank you. Jim [/QUOTE]
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