Central Ohio Forage for Horses

The Ohio Forage and Grassland Council will be hosting an Equine Pasture and Hay Management Workshop on Saturday July 28, 2012 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at AC Acres,  Vicki Ayotte farm, 8481 Pontius Road, Groveport , Ohio.  The farm is in the southeast corner of Franklin County; west of State Route 674, east of Rickenbacker, and south of Groveport, Ohio along the Walnut Creek.   This will workshop will be covering information on Pasture Management, Pasture Soil Fertility, Forage Species Selection, Tall Fescue Management, Horse Nutrition on Pasture, Manure Management, and a pasture walk where plants will be identified and designing a grazing paddock system will be discussed.  The day will end with a Hay Quality discussion and hay evaluation session.  Attendees are encouraged to bring a sample of their own hay for evaluation.  Bob Hendershot, retired NRCS State Grassland Conservation and now part-time ODNR-DSWR Grazing Specialist will be leading the discussion.  Bob helped develop the Forage for Horses program and has presented this material across the country.

This workshop will provide tips to make better use of your horse pasture.  Improving the productivity of your pastures can reduce the amount of hay needed.  A well managed pasture can provide a large portion of a horse’s forage requirement mid-April through mid-November.   Horses grazing well managed paddocks will spread their manure over the pasture instead of in loafing areas or in their stalls.  Healthy grass and legume plants are more productive if given the opportunity to regrow in-between grazing events. You can improve forage growth by dividing the pasture into smaller paddocks and rotate the animals among the separate paddocks.   Managing the forage is an important concept to understand to protect the environment, soil, water, plants and animals. 

Weeds compete with forage plants for moisture, sunlight and nutrients.  Grazing management can keep most weeds out.  Horse owners need to be aware of toxic plants and their control measures.  A pasture that is continuously grazed, over grazed, or has inadequate soil fertility can make weed problems even worse.   Selecting the right forage species for the use and the soil type can help in providing a healthy pasture.  Horse grazing areas should be long and narrow rectangles because horses tend to graze in a linear fashion different than cattle.  The location of animal watering facilities is also a concern in designing a grazing system.  This information and more will be discussed register early to secure a place for the Central Ohio Forage for Horses Workshop.

Producers need to register by July 20, 2012 by contacting OFGC at bobhendershot2011@gmail or 740-477-1114.  A registration fee of $65 per farm will include materials, a 400 page Forage for Horses  notebook, Pasture Stick, refreshments and lunch on Saturday July 28, 2012. A pdf registration form can be found at this link.

Beware of Poison Hemlock

IDENTIFY AND CONTROL POISON HEMLOCK
Rory Lewandowski, Extension Educator Wayne County and Crossroads EERA

As I have driven around the county the past week or so, I have noticed some patches of poison hemlock on roadside banks and also in some fields. Specifically I have seen poison hemlock in some alfalfa fields. This is a concern because all parts of this plant including leaves, stems and roots are poisonous when ingested. This is a good time to scout both hayfields and pastures for this weed and take steps to control it. This is not a weed that livestock owners can afford to ignore.
Poison hemlock has an appearance similar to wild carrot and is a member of the parsley family. The plant has compound leaves made up of multiple leaflets that are finely divided and have a triangular shape. Some descriptions say the leaf has a lacy appearance. One of the key identifying characteristics is the stem. The stem of poison hemlock is smooth, hairless, and hollow and is colored with purple blotches.
The plant is a biennial and can be overlooked in its first year when it produces only vegetative growth. It becomes very noticeable during the second year when, after early vegetative growth it bolts and produces a flower stalk that can be 3 to 8 feet in height. The small white flowers are arranged in an umbrella-like cluster. Up to forty thousand seeds per plant can be produced. As the seeds mature in August and September they are easily spread by moving water, animals, people and mechanical activity such as mowing. This is an invasive plant that can take over open areas and crowd out beneficial plants.
As mentioned at the beginning of this article all parts of poison hemlock are toxic. According to a Purdue University Extension fact sheet; “Lethal doses can be small, so it is important not to let animals graze or feed on poison hemlock. In the case of horses, 4 to 5 pounds of the leaves may be lethal. One to 2 pounds can be lethal for cattle and 4 to 8 oz for sheep. Young animals are more susceptible. Symptoms may appear within 1 hour of ingestion. This starts with a nervous stimulation and can progresses in 2 to 3 hours later into respiratory paralysis. In rare cases the animal may have convulsions. In many cases symptoms include, bloating, incoordination, intestinal irritation, dilation of pupils, rapid and weak pulse, loss of appetite, salivation, and blue coloration about the mouth. Ingestion of poison hemlock in days 55 to 75 of gestation may result in birth defects.”
Control of poison hemlock needs to occur while the plant is in the vegetative state, so early spring is a good time to control second year plants and fall a good time to control first year plants. Herbicides can be effective in killing poison hemlock. Recommended herbicides and herbicide products include 2,4-D, dicamba (Banvel/Clarity), Crossbow (2-4,D plus triclopyr) and glyphosate. The 2012 Ohio and Indiana Weed Control Guide rates Crossbow and glyphosate as a little more effective than 2,4-D or dicamba products. Be aware that all of these herbicides are broadleaf weed killers, which means if these products are applied in a pasture they will kill desirable broadleaf plants such as clover, and in an alfalfa field will kill alfalfa plants. Spot spraying is recommended when infestations are small and limited in scope.