# Patches of milkweed



## JD3430

Have a field with some milkweed patches. Poisonous to livestock, so wondering what to do.
I already dropped the field. Way behind on cutting. Do I avoid baling the areas with milkweed?
Only thing I can think of to do with it is mushroom hay, but I dont know if it's a problem for mushroom growers, too?


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## cwright

http://www.haytalk.com/forums/topic/16923-milkweed-munching-cows/page__hl__milkweed

Seems cows like it ???


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## JD3430

Sounds like time to do some round baling.


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## Texasmark

Just noticed yesterday my cows dining on some. Around here you just can't get rid of it. Only thing that will absolutely kill it is geophosphate and using a spot sprayer at that. The neighbors keep you freshly restocked; most are sloppy stewards and don't even mow their pastures. The stuff just grows wild. One plant probably has 200 little parachutes and the wind carries them for miles. I have just about given up on it and talking about an untreated/maintained field, not mine, it will completely take over in time.

Had to deal with it for over 30 years and never lost a cow.

Mark


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## rjmoses

We have a similar problem hereabouts with Canada thistle. The CRP ground gets loaded with them and the seeds blow over onto me. Road banks in some areas look like a flower garden. The USDA says can't mow or burn. Anything goes on Federal land to "protect wildlife".

Government bodies make poor neighbors!

Ralph


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## Nitram

rjmoses said:


> We have a similar problem hereabouts with Canada thistle. The CRP ground gets loaded with them and the seeds blow over onto me. Road banks in some areas look like a flower garden. The USDA says can't mow or burn. Anything goes on Federal land to "protect wildlife".
> 
> Government bodies make poor neighbors!
> 
> Ralph


HERE they demand removal of the lespendeza that came with the crp seed! I have had same problem as you with the thistles but took spade to them and rent the other pasture they WERE coming from. First of june i begin scouting for them and was one week late at that this year. Good luck ( check to see if they are classified as invasive in your state...if so they can't stop you from removal ) Martin


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## JD3430

So what should I do?
If they are only sparsely populated and the hay looks otherwise good, should I bale it for horse hay?
If it is "patchy", should I round bale and sell as cattle hay?
Please help-need pro advice, want to bale soon.


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## Nitram

I am not a expert by a long shot but...there are milkweeds growing in most pastures around here and in the one across the road (gram pa's home place) where i keep three horses two of mine and one of the ex's. they have been there for two years plus. before they were in my pasture. I can't testify to the toxicity of MW but if they have not eaten it i would be surprised. I also have baled both places and fed it to both cows and horses. That being said if it is toxic to horses sell it as cow feed. If it is that sparse and you are worried about it take a sharp shooter (spade) and remove before they drop seeds. I have worse weeds that are more invasive to worry over lol Martin


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## JD3430

Thanks, I'm concerned about making someone's horse sick.
MW looks very toxic from what I've read.
It's too bad because the hay surrounding it looks really nice.


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## shortrow

JD3430 said:


> Thanks, I'm concerned about making someone's horse sick.
> MW looks very toxic from what I've read.
> It's too bad because the hay surrounding it looks really nice.


Bale around it, let it heal for a week, then spray it like theres no tomorrow.


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## JD3430

I already cut the whole field. One field has patches, the other field has spotty milkweed-no patches, just young milkweed (no seed pods) here & there.
Since I already cut it, should I round bale it? I think small squares s out of the question.
If I round bale it, should I sell it as "cow hay"? Or should I sell it as "mushroom hay"?


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## Nitram

which ever will bring more! Not a problem for cows that I have ever heard of except sour milk. Martin


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## Will 400m

I just baled a field here that went exclusivly to horses with a good bit of clover and milkweed and not much else in spots. Did the same last year and other than low sugars it fed well and no one got sick. If your realy concerned do like shortrow said and spray the snot out of it.


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## JD3430

I ended up sq. baling the clean ares and round baling anything with more than minor infestation.


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## Stan r

I have been spot spaying the milkweed. I use pasture guard, 2-4-d it does a number in it, I think it is impossible to get rid of..


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## bensbales

I have had the same problem with milkweed for years. On the worst patches where its like a plant every square foot i will rd bale and give to the cows. My horse customers don't seem to have a problem with milkweed as long as each square bale has less than 2 plants in it. I have been back pack spraying using Milestone( for the last 4 yrs) and have been able to clean up all but one 20 acre field. That field is going to get plowed this fall and planted to corn or beans next spring.


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## mlappin

to be honest I've never paid milkweeds any attention, usually just a few in a field, don't seem to ever have patches of them.


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## slowzuki

We never had any in the area until 10 years ago, it came in like crazy with smooth bedstraw. Some neighbouring fields look like you have planted a uniform field crop of milkweed. I have tried a lot of things as a few of my fields have heavy growth. Round-up was useless. Burning it down killed the plant but a new shoot starts from the interlinked root network. I hand pulled about 5000 plants three times in one summer, all it got me was mosquito bites.

What did work was after first cut I kept the field mowed every 2 weeks for the rest of the year. Lot of time but its the only thing that has worked 100%. I noticed even next to heavily infested fields peoples lawns never have a single plant on them.


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## JD3430

So do you think Cimmarron would be inneffective?


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