Our spring rains are a month to 6-weeks late. I moved my replacement heifers because they were running out of grass. Now, ponds are full and running over, spring grass is coming. Musk thistles are showing about a month later than normal and they are coinciding with snakeroot which usually appears about the time musk thistles are winding down. Some cows and heifers aren't shedding off. We're in the high 50's to low 60's at night after breaking heat records in May. Where I'm going with this is, I'm concerned about this having a negative influence on the cows cycling and getting bred. They're eating mineral like there's no tomorrow. Wondering what everyone else is seeing?
A few observations
- Thread starter DejaVu
- Start date
Cowpuncher
Well-known member
DejsVu,
You have problems getting rid of musk thistles?
We used to have them all over and now they are gone.
CP
You have problems getting rid of musk thistles?
We used to have them all over and now they are gone.
CP
Big Muddy rancher
Well-known member
We had a cold late spring last year.Cows cycled poorly i feel. Had a friend AIing and they noticed cows not cycling they fed some second cut alfalfa for a few days to get them started again. :?
3 M L & C
Well-known member
DejaVu said:There's plenty to spare around here. Want some back?I'm having to mix my spray stronger than usual to kill them. Wish they would go away like yours. Too much time and money spent on a weed.
Depending how big they are it doesn't matter what you spray them with. I read somewhere if they get a head that even if you spray them they will have enough time to make a viable seed. Don't know if that's right or not but I have seen neighbors hire planes to spray every year and they still have them the worst. We use a shovel to spray ours. :wink: If the heads have purple at all we pull heads off them and put in mineral bag. Usually don't have enough to make the previous stated job overwhelming but enough to keep summer help busy a few days. With the seeds they have I think they could travel miles in the wind So if you have some less than desirable neighbors can be tough sledding.
3 M L & C
Well-known member
Also dad had bought a load of replacements that came from Montana and I noticed that some are slicked up nice about half are mostly got rid of long hair and then there are some that still look pretty shaggy. Was thinking its kind of late here for all the old hair still but idk.
Cowpuncher
Well-known member
DejaVu - back to the musk thistle problem.
Our county was literally covered with those things. I had one parcel where you couldn't see a pickup driving through.
One neighbor went to an entomogolist and they gave him some bugs which he turned loose. They spread like wildfire and their larva gets into the seed head. Within a year or two, you couldn't find a single musk thistle. Thge bugs seem to have disappeared as well.
We see one now and then where the seeds were in bushes and finaly got a chance to grow, but they are few and it is no problem getting rid of them.
This was one of the most remarkable weed controls I have ever seen. The musk thistle is pretty much gone from the county.
The State of Colorado has an entomology labratory in Grand Junction where they breed weed killing bugs. They give them away free, but I don't know how they deal with out of state folks.
CP
Our county was literally covered with those things. I had one parcel where you couldn't see a pickup driving through.
One neighbor went to an entomogolist and they gave him some bugs which he turned loose. They spread like wildfire and their larva gets into the seed head. Within a year or two, you couldn't find a single musk thistle. Thge bugs seem to have disappeared as well.
We see one now and then where the seeds were in bushes and finaly got a chance to grow, but they are few and it is no problem getting rid of them.
This was one of the most remarkable weed controls I have ever seen. The musk thistle is pretty much gone from the county.
The State of Colorado has an entomology labratory in Grand Junction where they breed weed killing bugs. They give them away free, but I don't know how they deal with out of state folks.
CP
A donkey is no joke, Denny. A couple of years ago I was having trouble tagging my fall born calves. Cows were running from me and if I caught a calf they came after me. This is an established herd I've owned for a long time. Totally uncharacteristic behavior. A friend suggested a mammoth donkey. I found a female and put her with the cows. It was a little ugly at first. Sort of like cows-50, donkey-0. It's a different deal now. She stays with the herd all the time and if something appears to be a threat, she rounds up the ones outside of her comfort zone. The cows respect her. She's no trouble with baby calves, we go in on horseback to gather with no problems and she doesn't bother the bulls during the breeding season. Best of all?? She likes musk thistles. The pasture she is in is the cleanest this year. God Bless my Donkey. Now, maybe I could put some in neighbors pastures where the darn musk thistles are going to seed, :wink: