Turn Your Livestock Into Weed Eaters

In 2004, Kathy Voth began developing a method to teach cows to eat weeds. Her first attempt was with a small herd at Grant-Kohrs National Historic Site in Deer Lodge, Montana. She taught them to eat Canada thistle, Leafy spurge and Spotted knapweed. Since then she’s trained over 1,000 cattle, some sheep, goats and a herd of Ted Turner’s bison to eat many of our most problematic weeds.

The process is based on animal behavior principles and takes just 8 hours spread over 7 days. Trained animals teach their offspring and herd mates and go on to try other weeds in pasture. They remember for years, so do it once and you’re done. (Have you ever heard that from an herbicide sales person?)

Training Resources

For all the background, a list of which weeds are safe to train and which are not, as well as a quick start “recipe” download the Cows Eat Weeds ebook set.

Cows Eat Weeds includes all the background you need, along with problems and solutions to them from my ten years of actively working in the field training livestock across the U.S. and Canada to eat a wide variety of weeds. Edible Weeds & Training Recipe is a supplement that makes sure your animals will be safe as you begin.

Here’s the Cows Eat Weeds Table of Contents.
Check out a book excerpt.

$24 for the two ebook set

 

Want More?

Click here to see Videos of the Training in Action

Read On Pasture Articles

How to Teach Cows to Eat Weeds in Just 8 Hours Over 7 Days

43% Better – The Economics of Getting Your Livestock to Eat Weeds

Why Cows That Learn to Eat One Weed Will Choose to Eat Others

I Know You Paid A Lot of Money to Manage Weeds, But It Just Doesn’t Work

Have You Discovered the Benefits of Canada Thistle?

Multiflora Rose Makes a Great Alternative Forage!

Whitetop/Hoary Cress – Whatever You Call It, Livestock Love it!

Yes! Your Livestock Can Eat Horsenettle! (and Mimosa/Chamberbitter weed, Teaweed/Spiny Sida, and Goldenrod)

Overcoming Our Brush Prejudice

Adjusting Assumptions When Training Livestock to Eat Weeds

Want even more weed-eating articles? Explore the category here.

Save Save