Knapweed Control

[DB Cooper]

I recall some discussion on Knapweed in a different thread this summer but I just came across this article and I was wondering if any of you can confirm that sheep and cattle actually do graze on Knapweed and that there are no adverse consequences.
Anybody tried training their cattle to eat Knapweed?


http://onpasture.com/2013/03/19/spotted-knapweed/

 

[littlejoe]

I know a guy on birch creek who was very involved in spraying and getting the neighbors involved.

fought a losing battle for several yrs.

then went to managed grazing.

he had photo documented maybe 10 yrs--including several spray yrs--taken from same spot where we were standing. had pictures on plywood. if a certain dead tree, etc, had not been in same place on every one---you would never have believed it.

knapweed was at maybe 5 to 10% of what it had been at it's worst---and looked sick---just from cows--and they had it ate down.

 

[KathyV]

Hi, Kathy Voth here of On Pasture and Livestock for Landscapes.

I've trained LOTS of cows to eat several different species of knapweed. Before it sets seed it is generally as high in nutritional value as alfalfa. It's a shame that more people aren't taking advantage of this forage.

I developed a very simple method for teaching cows to eat weeds, and as editor of On Pasture, I've been sharing information about it on this online grazing magazine. Here's the link to the article on How to Teach Your Cows to Eat Weeds: http://onpasture.com/2013/04/09/how-to-teach-livestock-to-eat-weeds/

Hope that helps!

 

[burnt]

Hi, Kathy Voth here of On Pasture and Livestock for Landscapes.

I've trained LOTS of cows to eat several different species of knapweed. Before it sets seed it is generally as high in nutritional value as alfalfa. It's a shame that more people aren't taking advantage of this forage.

I developed a very simple method for teaching cows to eat weeds, and as editor of On Pasture, I've been sharing information about it on this online grazing magazine. Here's the link to the article on How to Teach Your Cows to Eat Weeds: http://onpasture.com/2013/04/09/how-to-teach-livestock-to-eat-weeds/

Hope that helps!

Interesting. Thanks for posting.

I have seen calves going around the pastures nibbling the flowers off of Canada thistle. That was a real pleasure to see!

 

[KathyV]

Canada thistle is likewise a good forage and at an average 16% protein I've found it one of the easiest to teach cattle to eat. Cows in Montana grazed it to the same height they grazed the grass in their pasture.

If you want to see the basic training process, here's a link to a "music video" I made with footage from cows learning to eat Canada thistle in Montana. It also shows other weeds I'e taught cattle to eat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dANLnHEi19A&list=TLry0tLBL9XOw

There are also other videos you can explore on youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/kathvoth

 

[Anonymous]

I knew that animals learned what to eat from their mothers and from experience.

I've never taught cows to eat weeds, altho I've sure saw them do it...

But I do know this sentence is so true... One of the reasons I only take the replacement heifers away from the cows for a month or two--and then put them right back with the cow herd- to spend their first winter with the mother and grandmothers... Its my belief they learn to socialize in the herd better and learn to get out and rustle for their lunch (even if it means picking threw the snowdrifts)... Instead of standing at the feed manger bellering they learn right away the way they will have to survive in life....The cows working for you- and not you working for the cows...

 

[Cowpuncher]

Knapweed - a bane for ranchers.

Spotted and diffuse knapweed showed up here in central Colorado about 1975. It likes sandy or gravel soil and is just plain hell to get rid of. One of our neighbors never sprayed. They had both cattle and horses on thier place.

By summer, the knapweed is 2 -3 feet high and in full bloom. After it blooms, the stems are hard and cattle won't touch it.

After 15 years of work, I have finally gotten rid of it. I put up a woven wire fence to keep the neighbors weeds out and walked almost daily around the place, especially near shrubs chopping weeds with a hoe or hand spraying. But I won. (Forgot to mention the neighbors got foreclosed on and are gone,)

Two years ago, after foreclosure, the buyer had the property sprayed. I don't know what they used, but their knapweed is gone!!

Even when cattle eat knapweed in the rosette stage, the plant will still bloom and make seeds - just not as tall.

Canadian thistle is loved by cattle. We had some CRP land infested with Canadian thistle. We took about 40 acres out of CRP and grazed it. Thistle is gone. Cattle will eventually kill it out.

CP

 

[KathyV]

It's true that cattle prefer not to eat knapweed after it seeds out. That's because the protein drops below 8% making it less palatable. When grazed early, during bolting, it's protein runs between 15 and 20% and though it will grow back and put on flowers, research has demonstrated that flower and seed production is reduced by 50% and fewer seeds are viable. When grazed in bud or blossom stage, seed viability is reduced by 98%.

Given that it is such a nutritious, persistent plant, even in the face of drought, it seems that the only reason we dislike it is that we were misinformed about its value. I don't advocate that we manage FOR keeping knapweed in our pastures, but given it's resilience, it seems that grazing it to reduce and control its populations while growing fat cattle on it is a much wiser and more profitable choice. Surely we have other things to do with our time and money other than patrol fences and pad the pockets of herbicide producers.

 

[Triangle Bar]

I recall some discussion on Knapweed in a different thread this summer but I just came across this article and I was wondering if any of you can confirm that sheep and cattle actually do graze on Knapweed and that there are no adverse consequences.
Anybody tried training their cattle to eat Knapweed?

My cattle eat knapweed. I don't know about sheep never have tried it. The only side effect I have seen is that they get a little crazy acting, kind of high headed. That is probably the effect of the high protein and nutritional content. There was no training necessary, it seems to be highly palatable.

The problem with the weed and why it is labeled noxious, is that it is highly invasive. It also produces an auto-toxcicity in the surrounding soil which in turn crowds out other species.

If you are looking to kill it out, an integrated approach of grazing or mowing followed by Milestone herbicide will get the job done.