Stinging Grass in Goat Pen

[texaschick]

There is an abundance of stinging grass in the goat pen and Id like to get rid of it...but Im not sure how.I dont know what to use that wouldnt be poisonous to the goat.Any ideas?

[ladycat]

What is stinging grass?

[mary,tx]

Are you talking about stinging nettle?

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

I bet she is Mary! It grows here in all the manure piles! We have never found anything that kills it, other than frequent mowing, notice how it doesn't grown in paths for areas that are traveled on alot. It's horrible here! Vicki

[Bearfootfarm]

I think if you could afford to take it out of production for a while that plowing and replanting with something that would grow in thick enough to shade it out might work. Otherwise it will probably take a good spray like 2-4 D or Roundup to get rid of it, and depending on the type it may take several sprayings
http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/nettle.htm

[texaschick]

Yea its nettle, sry for the inconvenience....everyone around here has called it stinging grass lol. yesterday I was lookin in the pen and noticed it doesnt grow on the path but it grows everywhere else.I hate getting into and I bet my goat does too.

[fishhead]

You could cut it with a scythe or weed eater.

I thought nettles were good for goats?

[dragonfly65]

If you want a natural solution, fence it in and put chickens in there with your goat. They will kill out any plant. I had an enclosure full of crabgrass and turned out chickens into it. Now it is bare dirt and nothing grows in there. I do the same thing in my garden at the end of the season (crab grass is EVERYWHERE and very hard to get rid of - even grows through carpet!). It doesn't get cold enough to kill everything here (also in Texas - I still have green grass) so I use them and they do a really good job scratching up all those roots. Even if they won't eat the stuff, throw some feed in the nettles and they will scratch them up.

[mary,tx]

I sprayed weed killer on the stinging nettle under the clothesline last year. The nettle was not impressed. This year I guess I'll pull it out by (gloved) hand.
mary

[susanne]

i wish i would have a spot where i can grow nettle
this is very beneficial herb. aren't your goats eating it?
if you have urinary infection you can make tee from the leaves of the nettle. makes the urin more acid and helps to clear the infection out.
you can use it as mulch in your garden and it will deter slugs and snails for a while.
if you want to get rid of it,change the soil ph. nettle loves humus and acid soil.

[Simpler Times]

You can eat the young ones too. I don't know how well they would transplant but you could experiment with it and sell or trade them on the Barter board, Garden Web, etc! Pull a few up with the roots intact and wrap them with a damp paper towel. Put the root ball in a plastic bag and tie it to keep in the moisture. Be sure to leave the foilage outside the bag. See how long they will last that way then, if they are successful for say a week, offer them (freshly pulled and bagged of course) for trade or sale. Don't laugh! I've seen several requests over the years from people wanting them and the herb places sell them. I'd be interested in getting some myself.

[JAS]

My goats eat it--good source of protein and I think vitamins. It might take some time before they "learn" to eat it though. My angora always good for eating stuff like that. Otherwise, my husband has been spraying it in the trees but they do spread by roots so it is hard to get rid of.