rachels.haven's Journal

[rachels.haven]

Doesn't PITA - Doesn't that stand for Pork in Tasty Adobo (sauce)?

And in a flat pocket bread to boot. That's why they call it pita bread.

 

[farmerjan]

And in a flat pocket bread to boot. That's why they call it pita bread.

 

[rachels.haven]

Never leave it to goats to avoid the toxic stuff. Okay, I bought my sprayer. Next week I'll be going out and committing some...Herbicide.

 

[Baymule]

What toxic stuff?

 

[rachels.haven]

What toxic stuff?

Endophyte fescue is moderately toxic for goats, and mine most definitely (probably) is. It can do weird things to udders and kidding as well as the usual extremities ciruclation stuff. Chances are some, if not the majority of my goats would probably seek out and gorge on fescue rather than anything else I plant because they're goats and if you give them an option they will do the opposite of what you want. And ideally I'd like them not to eat it until a couple of frosts hit it (it's TOUGH as nails in the cold, emerald forever!)

So I'll be using the short duration roundup on it to hopefully kill back at least a good portion of it so the things I plant will be able to take hold and take over. I'll probably leave the vegetation near the ditches to hold the clay in too. I don't want our pasture to become a giant gully. It makes me sad, but I would like to start off on the right food pasture-wise.

 

[farmerjan]

Fescue toxicity will also cause breeding problems, abortion, and some will not cycle. HOWEVER, endophyte infected fescue is also very UNPALATABLE since the starches do not taste good. After a frost the starches change to sugars and it makes a good grass for extending the grazing into the fall and winter. Now, understand I really despise it.... but it has a place. Our cattle will not eat it if they have other choices. We do make quite a bit of hay that has fescue in it. Once it is cut and dried and made into hay it is not a problem. It is not as "tasty" as orchard grass or other grasses, but it makes decent hay for winter.

I agree with you wanting to try to decrease the amount in the pasture with making preferable forage more available to them. Letting the pastures grow up some so they don't want to eat the more mature stemmy stuff which is the fescue will help too. But you don't want it to go to seed so it is a 2 edged sword.... It does not do real good in the heat so it will grow like gangbusters in the spring and then again in late summer to grow for fall ..... But except for using the herbicide as you are planning to, there is no other good way to get rid of it.
I sympathize, we deal with it here all the time too....

 

[Baymule]

I planted non endophyte fescue in Lindale. The sheep loved it and it died back in spring.

 

[rachels.haven]

Fescue toxicity will also cause breeding problems, abortion, and some will not cycle. HOWEVER, endophyte infected fescue is also very UNPALATABLE since the starches do not taste good. After a frost the starches change to sugars and it makes a good grass for extending the grazing into the fall and winter. Now, understand I really despise it.... but it has a place. Our cattle will not eat it if they have other choices. We do make quite a bit of hay that has fescue in it. Once it is cut and dried and made into hay it is not a problem. It is not as "tasty" as orchard grass or other grasses, but it makes decent hay for winter.

I agree with you wanting to try to decrease the amount in the pasture with making preferable forage more available to them. Letting the pastures grow up some so they don't want to eat the more mature stemmy stuff which is the fescue will help too. But you don't want it to go to seed so it is a 2 edged sword.... It does not do real good in the heat so it will grow like gangbusters in the spring and then again in late summer to grow for fall ..... But except for using the herbicide as you are planning to, there is no other good way to get rid of it.
I sympathize, we deal with it here all the time too....

Thanks, I wish someone would let the goats know they're supposed to not like it. They currently want to go to town every time I turn my back on the way to milking because it's lush and green and growing like crazy and all they've had all winter has been dry hay. They are prime toxicity candidates.
Nothing to it but to do it, I guess.

 

[rachels.haven]

I planted non endophyte fescue in Lindale. The sheep loved it and it died back in spring.

I'd be afraid to plant the non endophyte stuff without killing off and resting the place, but I bet they loved it. My caravan of milked goaties keeps taking snack break detours.and I have to go catch them and drag them to the gate. Apparently toxic is fun!

 

[farmerjan]

They aren't going to get a toxic amount in short period of times. Plus the real early growth in the spring will not cause the problems that are listed... it would take several hours/days of just eating that and nothing else, like their normal hay etc, before they would have any real effects. Sneaking some snacks is not going to be a big problem.....