# Johnson Grass



## ladyfarmer10 (Jul 28, 2010)

Will it hurt goats to eat johnson grass?


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## cmjust0 (Jul 28, 2010)

It can, absolutely.  Most folks consider it to be most dangerous right after a frost, but what I've read indicates that if it gets wilty at all -- for whatever reason -- it's very much akin to the goat eating wilted cherry leaves.

I'd try hard to rid myself of it if I had it in my goat pens.

EDIT:  I have it on my place, btw..  It choked out all my early sunglow sweetcorn this year...damned johnsongrass got so big in that patch that it actually LOOKED like corn.


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## DonnaBelle (Jul 28, 2010)

My husband declares WAR on Johnson Grass.  It is an evil weed that will choke out native grasses, etc.

He has sprayed it since we bought the ranch, and is having some success.

STOMP OUT JOHNSON GRASS!!

Donna on the Oklahoma Prairie.........


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## aggieterpkatie (Jul 29, 2010)

It's required by law to control Johnsongrass around here (MD).  It's one of our state's listed noxious weeds.  

It's a really great forage under the right conditions!  Under the wrong conditions:



> Johnsongrass is on the noxious weed list in several U.S. states (including Oklahoma) and has even made the list of the 10 most noxious weeds in the world. Johnsongrass can accumulate nitrates during the summer if exposed to several dry, cloudy days in a row. It can also produce prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide) after stressful conditions such as drought, freezing weather or exposure to a herbicide that kills grasses. If your johnsongrass is subjected to any of these conditions, keep cattle away for about a week to allow the prussic acid to dissipate.


Link


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## ladyfarmer10 (Jul 29, 2010)

Thanks everyone,I only have a small patch-not in the goat pasture,so I will be digging it up.


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## murtaugh (Jul 30, 2010)

Johnson Grass can cause bloat in goats....bad stuff killed my first goat when I was a kid


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## treeclimber233 (Aug 14, 2010)

What does Johnson grass look like?


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## cmjust0 (Aug 16, 2010)

It gets tall...like, _corn tall_...over-your-head tall.

You see it in roadside ditches, overgrown fields...my vegetable garden...yanno, places that aren't regularly maintained.


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## aggieterpkatie (Aug 16, 2010)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> http://www.ksda.gov/includes/images/plant_protection/Noxious Weeds/Johnsongrass_3D54.jpg
> 
> It gets tall...like, _corn tall_...over-your-head tall.
> 
> You see it in roadside ditches, overgrown fields...my vegetable garden...yanno, places that aren't regularly maintained.


It's really easy to spot.  We're always on the lookout for noxious weeds for work, so now I always notice it.  I'll be driving down the road and making note of every stupid Johnsongrass plant I see.


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## cmjust0 (Aug 16, 2010)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> cmjust0 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ever since this thread started, I've been doing the same thing..


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## jodief100 (Aug 16, 2010)

Never noticed any before,  this weekend I saw it along at the field edges and along the creek as I drove into town.


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## cmjust0 (Aug 16, 2010)

Oh, you just wait..  Now that you've got it on your mind, it's ALL you'll see.


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## mercedes (Sep 3, 2010)

Very interesting,because here in texas johnson grass is used for hay.It's baled,round and square and fed to cows,horses and also goats.


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## cmjust0 (Sep 3, 2010)

mercedes said:
			
		

> Very interesting,because here in texas johnson grass is used for hay.It's baled,round and square and fed to cows,horses and also goats.


It's fine when it's growing, and it's fine if it's cut and dried properly for hay..  

But when it's wilty, like after a frost...or if it's been trampled and is dying...or if it's been sprayed with something to kill it out and is beginning to wilt....it's poisonous.


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## ALANB (Sep 3, 2010)

ladyfarmer10 said:
			
		

> Will it hurt goats to eat johnson grass?


HERDMASTER and LADYFarmer ;  The Johnsongrass was probably feeding off your corn firtalizer !! It makes excellent baled hay , huge tonnage , I allow it to mix with my Alfalfa !!  as dry feed (baled) it won't hurt anything !!! It thrives on hot summers . Note the only time it's harmfull , To my knowledge is very young and with frostbite , It can be Poisonous .  No time for pasture anyway ........ ,  ALANB.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Nov 26, 2010)

I'm reviving this thread because I have a round bale full of johnson grass (in fact, the hay dealer told me as much and raved about the protein content) and I've only just realized it's a potential problem.  I'd just started feeding from this particular bale and they love it!  I decided to do some reading on johnson grass before I have another couple round bales delivered Monday and discovered the potential for prussic acid and nitrate toxicity.  

It seems that the prussic acid is not much of a concern for cured hay, but the potential for nitrate poisoning remains apparently for months after baling.  Does anyone here feed hay with a high percentage of johnson grass?

I'm not much of a risk-taker, but feeding from the round bales and supplementing with good alfalfa hay has been kind to my pocket book and they're all in great condition.  Unfortunately the ONLY round bales I've found in the area (and can have delivered) are fescue, fescue/bermuda blend (still almost entirely fescue...), and the johnson grass/orchard grass/bermuda blend.  Feeding fescue opens up another bag of worms and most of it ends up as bedding since the little buggers don't really like it anyway.


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## mercedes (Nov 27, 2010)

I have been feeding coastel bermuda/johnson grass hay to my horses for many years without any problems.only had goats for a few years now,but they have been devouering it alongside the horse without any ill effects.I think straight johnson grass hay is a little too coarse,but that is just my personal opinion.Here in texas you would be hard pressed to find any hay without at least a trace of johnson grass.I always thought johnson grass was a good thing  maybe it's a southern thing.


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## patandchickens (Nov 27, 2010)

IMO it mainly boils down to how much you believe in your hay guy (the one that cut and baled it, not some middleman, I mean). There are all various hays that can be problematic if not done knowledgeably -- johnsongrass, clover, alfalfa, etc -- but are typically fine when done right.

The big thing re: nitrates is to not have cut/baled the hay when it is growing _super_ fast and lush, and if it's borderline don't feed it right away.

I suppose it's possible that you could get a sample tested if you are really feeling paranoid about it, I have never really thought about having hay tested for nitrates specifically but it's possible labs do it, I dunno.

Really though I'd say that if it's from a GOOD hay producer you should be fine.

JMHO,

Pat


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Nov 28, 2010)

Thanks!  No middleman, he's the source.  I'll ask him about it and see if he's knowledgeable enough for me to feel comfortable feeding it.  He's been helpful so far and not at all sketchy about discussing exactly what's in it, he just doesn't know much about goats.  It's been pretty dry in the latter part of this summer and fall, so I'll have to ask him about the lush growth.

The bale we're on now I'm seeing has a good amount of orchard grass in it and they ALWAYS head for that first (unless there's alfalfa.  )  The johnson grass is pretty coarse, but they don't seem to mind that the way they have a distaste for stemmy fescue.


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## Greendecember (Nov 29, 2010)

We just bought our place in September and I am still trying to figure out what all is growing here. Yesterday I saw some Johnson grass in our front paddock and thought the goats would LOVE that it is dried but still leaffy. I am glad I read this though. It will soon be met in vigor with a shovel along with the poke bushes and all the other bad stuff that grows wild in Oklahoma. *sigh* I have a LOT of digging to do. lol. Now to decide if I want to make war on one kind of weed each year or one acre of land at a time. We have 5. I think I will knock out the big nasties as I see them and concentrate on one acre at a time!


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