Weeds

Here are some of the posts on the Kennedy Ranch Facebook page from Sue Kennedy’s work teaching cattle to eat leafy spurge on their ranch in Lamoille, Nevada. Sue says that the cattle do well eating the spurge on their first rotation through a pasture. But 14 days later they tend to eat around the […]

Though Russian knapweed is not safe in large quantities for horses, it can be part of a nutritious diet for your ruminant livestock.

Multiflora rose is one of our more beautiful “mistakes.” It was originally introduced from Japan as rootstock for ornamental roses. In the 1930s the U.S. Soil Conservation Service promoted it for erosion control and living fences and farmers took them up on the idea. In the 1960s the Virginia Highway Department planted it in interstate […]

This year many farmers are wondering why barnyardgrass is present in unusual abundance in their hay fields and pastures.  This annual warm-season grass weed is physically similar to Japanese millet and is found throughout the world.  In North America it is found from Mexico to Alaska.  This discussion will cover: Forage quality and palatability questions […]

There is a lot of this white-flowering, leafy plant growing along the side of the road near my house and every time I pass it I think, “Someone needs to get some livestock down here to take advantage of this great forage!” If you’ve got it, here’s what you need to know about it.

One of the common questions I get from folks who hear me talk about training livestock to eat weeds is whether or not it is a good way to control weeds.  For the answer, I’ll share what was in my head when I started trying to figure out the process for teaching animals to try […]

Some years back, I went to a meeting in Denver sponsored by the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. I don’t remember the exact title, but it was something about how ranchers could adapt to a changing climate.  Scientists explained what their research was telling them about plant responses to increasing CO2 in the atmosphere, and shared computer […]

Once your livestock are eating a weed, you might find that it becomes your favorite pasture forage.

Introduce your livestock to this plant and you’ll have a better way to manage it than anything else we’ve yet found.

Yes! This article has information about why people have been concerned about it in the past and includes an update link to an article where cows actually ate it successfully.

Sheep and cattle in Vermont were trained to eat this plant, and the cattle at Black Queen Angus enjoy it without any training at all. Could it be on the menu for your livestock?

This plant compares to alfalfa in nutritional value. Here are some ways to use that nutrition to manage this plant in your pastures.

This highly invasive plant is found in almost every state in the U.S. and in Canada. If you’ve found it in your pastures or ranges, here’s some good news about controlling its spread while turning it into a nutritious forage.

We’ve considered these plants pests for so long that it’s hard to change our minds. Here are some reasons why you might like to think of them differently.