 |
ProCrop |
Grazing for Leafy Spurge Control
Sheep and goats provide an alternative to herbicides for controlling leafy spurge topgrowth in pasture and rangeland. Grazing alone will not eradicate leafy spurge but will reduce the infestation, slow the spread of the weed, and allow grasses to be grazed by cattle and horses. Grazing should be started early in the spring when the plant first emerges. On large infestations, pastures should be divided so animals can be regularly rotated and the entire infestation grazed in a timely manner.
Sheep and goats are best suited to control leafy spurge on large infestations or along waterways and tree areas. NDSU research has shown that grazing leafy spurge with goats followed by a fall applied herbicide treatment provided more rapid and better long-term leafy spurge control than either method used alone. Consult NDSU Extension Service circular W-866 Integrated Management of Leafy Spurge for further details.
Recommended stocking rates vary with terrain, leafy spurge density, and rainfall during the growing season. Sheep should be grazed at approximately 3 to 6 head/A of leafy spurge per month or 1 to 2 ewes/A of leafy spurge for the summer. Angora goats should be grazed at 12 to 16 goats/A of leafy spurge per month or 3 to 4 goats/A for four months (growing season). Grazing with goats controls leafy spurge with little utilization of the grass species. The stocking rate will decline over time as the leafy spurge infestation is reduced. Animals should be contained for 3 to 5 days so viable seed can pass through the digestive system before they are moved to non-infested areas. Which animal to utilize will depend on a land manager's specific conditions (fencing, availability of animals, need to overwinter, etc.) and prevailing markets at the time. Consult NDSU Extension Service circular R-1093 Controlling Leafy Spurge Using Goats and Sheep at http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/hay/r1093w.htm
Back to Leafy Spurge -
Special Weeds Menu
Back to Special Weeds Menu
Back to Main ProCrop Index
