March 24, 2014
What Should I Do About My Pasture Weeds?
Those aren’t “weeds” you’re seeing. That’s great alternative forage! So why not take advantage of it this spring. It’s even on sale.
Good news about what you thought of as problems
March 24, 2014
Those aren’t “weeds” you’re seeing. That’s great alternative forage! So why not take advantage of it this spring. It’s even on sale.
March 24, 2014
Here’s where you can post your questions about training livestock to eat weeds. This is a great place to come if you’re just getting started or you’re in the middle of your own training and you’re not sure that things are going right. I’ll get you going with answers to a couple questions I frequently […]
November 18, 2013
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 […]
November 4, 2013
Though Russian knapweed is not safe in large quantities for horses, it can be part of a nutritious diet for your ruminant livestock.
October 28, 2013
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 […]
October 14, 2013
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 […]
June 10, 2013
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.
May 27, 2013
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 […]
May 7, 2013
Once your livestock are eating a weed, you might find that it becomes your favorite pasture forage.
April 9, 2013
Introduce your livestock to this plant and you’ll have a better way to manage it than anything else we’ve yet found.
April 1, 2013
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.
March 19, 2013
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?
March 19, 2013
This plant compares to alfalfa in nutritional value. Here are some ways to use that nutrition to manage this plant in your pastures.
March 19, 2013
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.
March 19, 2013
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.