Not everything that is green in the pasture is good for your livestock. This becomes even more true under dry conditions, when undesirable plants start dotting the landscape.
The droughty conditions this fall could lead to an influx of toxic plants on pasture entering the winter months. This means it will be key to prevent growth of these plants and keep your livestock away from them should they start popping up in your pasture.
“With most poisonous plants in general, they don’t taste good, and most animals usually don’t eat them unless there’s nothing else for them to eat,” says Bill Johnson, a Purdue Extension weed control specialist. However, this fall and early winter could pose a scenario where there is nothing else to eat if dry conditions persist.
Top three
There are three main plants to keep an eye on as we enter the colder months: poison hemlock, white snakeroot and perilla mint. Here is how to identify them:
Poison hemlock. This plant is often confused with common ragweed, with lacy, dark-green leaves. However, the stems are hairless and covered with red blotches.
“Poison hemlock really seems to take off when we have dry weather conditions,” Johnson says. He shares that you are almost guaranteed to see poison hemlock across the state when it’s dry.
HARMFUL TO HUMANS: White snakeroot contains poison that can be passed from lactating animals to humans. This highly toxic plant has white flowers and hairless stems, with petioles attaching the leaves to the stem. (Victor Shelton)
White snakeroot. This plant has white flowers in clusters, as well as a hairless stem and petioles connecting the leaves to the stem. White snakeroot largely poses a risk to cattle and horses, and it can be found near wooded areas. Additionally, Johnson shares that the poison from this plant can be passed through milk from lactating animals to humans.
Victor Shelton, a retired agronomist/grazing specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, says that he already has been called to examine a handful of sites this year where this plant is present. Johnson adds that this plant likely will be more prevalent in southern Indiana.
Perilla mint. This plant is identified by its broad leaves, shaped like ovals or hearts with serrated edges. It also has square stems, small tubular flowers and a strong minty scent. Often, it is found around wooded areas. Johnson shares that perilla mint is still new to the Midwest.
NOT AS COMMON: Still new to the Midwest, perilla mint is not yet widespread across the state. However, this plant with broad leaves, square stems and a minty scent can pose a threat to your livestock if it pops up on pasture with this year’s dry conditions. (Victor Shelton)
Proper management
The largest piece of management advice to prevent this scenario is pulling livestock off pasture before they have the chance to overgraze.
“It’s better to protect forage plants and livestock by pulling them off pasture and feeding hay,” Shelton says.
If you find yourself in a situation where these toxic plants are already present, Johnson recommends consulting the Purdue Extension weed-control guides. There, you can find weed response tables that will walk you through how to best control those plants.
“The big thing is to pay attention to the animals, identify the weeds, and then utilize the resources out there — the Extension weed-control guide or the weed-control guides the industry publishes,” Johnson says.
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