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Milkweed in hay, poisonous to animals?

R

RayP(MI)

Well-known Member
Just cut a field of grass hay that had a bumper crop of milkweed in it. Is it safe to feed to shetland sheep, angora goats?
Somewhere I seem to remember that it isn't good practice. Allegedly the monarch butterfly larva eat it and they become toxic to predators. (Havent seen but one Monarch butterfly this season.)
 
I dont want to say one way or another, but if it was really poisonous wed have dead animals all over around here. I dont know anyone that doesnt have at least some hay fields with a ton of milkweed, particularly after first cut. Other than drying, never heard of any issues. I know my cattle dont mind, they just eat around it.
 
Years ago I had an infestation of milkweeds in one of my hay fields. I walked the field and dug/pulled all of the weeds out. The bed of my pickup was full of weeds. Ignorantly, I unloaded the weeds into a spot in a pasture with the intent of burning them after they had dried down. One of my half-grown calves gorged on the weeds, bloated, and died. I took her to a state run veterinarian place where they did necropsies. The vet that I dealt with said he didn't think that the weeds were toxic but the calf apparently just stuffed herself and died from bloating.

I never put piles of green weeds in the pastures after this incident.

Tom in TN
 
Ive "heard" that milkweed in hay is not good either. BUT, heres the thing, if we are talking right after 1st cut, make sure you really have milkweed. Round these parts there is another pain in the butt weed called hemp dogbane that looks a lot like milkweed.
 
At one place I make hay there is always a couple acres of Serica Lespedeza and milkweed been cutting there about 10 years and feeding it to the cattle and goats
no harm I can see has come from it.
 
I started getting some hemp dogbane in one of my fields and another that let my neighbor take had it really bad. He got it sprayed so I had mine sprayed at the same time. Took care of it very well but I don't remember what was used. I used walk around and pull it whenever I'd see it or hand spray with glyphosphate. It's easy to spot in the swathes after a day of drying. I'd pick the stems out when I raked, but I'm only doing small fields. The neighbor told me his horses leave it on the floor but his ewes were aborting because of it.
 
We used to have a fair share of milkweed and it was just baled along with the hay, still have some. It’s never caused a problem here.

I’ve heard the same, and I don’t want to say you will be fine no problem, because I don’t know what amount you are dealing with..... also I’m not familiar with your type of critters. I keep hearing goats can eat anything?

But moderate amounts haven’t bothered cattle here.

Paul
 
I've heard the poisonous deal also and the milk taste thing too. I know I never bothered to pick it out of hay we put up. Never had a lot of it either though. I am sure if there is just a few plants in a field I would not worry about it. Though I think there is a certain time in the growth of the plant like with the seed pods on or something that makes it more of a problem.
 
I was told it wasn't good for cows and goats. Supposedly over the winter a cow got out and ate a bunch of milkweed and died four days after they got it back on the property. Goats seem to eat it.
 
I have never seen a cow eat standing milkweed-just like iron weeds, they ignore them. And I have baled them too, without any known problem. The Kentucky extension office lists them as poisonous, just like poison hemlock, which has taken hold around here. They are among the weeds they advocate spraying 2 4 d or a couple of other chemicals for. Mark.
 
We've been feeding hay with it in it to shetland sheep for 20 years, the sheep just eat around it. Cows have done the same the last couple of years.

We go around and spot spray the stuff and mow it repeatedly but never seem to get very far ahead of it. Spot spraying 5 year in a row has a noticeable reduction.
 
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