# Horsenettle toxicity



## Roscoe_p (Aug 3, 2015)

We have baled some grass pasture hay in rounds that has a fair bit of horsenettle in it.

Has anyone had horsenettle poisoning either from grazing or feeding hay of 80% grass maybe ten percent horsenettle.

Plants range from early flower to late seed. They were raked so they are dry and crispy minus the fruit/seed.

We will be spraying soon for weed control . won't pasture on infested paddocks until weeds are dead dead to keep them from eating after spraying. Probably will feed these bales next winter as in 14-18 months from now, stored outside.

Does anyone know like a plants per acre that it is considered lethal?


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

The horses will not eat the horsenettle if they have hay to eat instead....they will pick around the nettle and just eat the grass. If you keep hay in front of them the nettle leaves will end up on the ground....nettle is thorny.....not very appetizing if there are other choices.

Regards, Mike


----------



## Roscoe_p (Aug 3, 2015)

Thanks we've always had it in the pasture and a sprinkling in the hay but it was pretty damn thick seeming we didn't bale the worst bit.


----------



## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

you want to spray about 2 weeks after first cutting and it will clean it up along with some of its kissing cousins-hemp dogbane and milkweed.

Like Mike said, horses will eat around the plants, would not eat it if that is all you had probably, too irritating, they will eat your fence posts first. It will make your hay look bad (visibly too many weeds in a bale) before there are other problems.


----------

