hemlock everywhere

[fishhead]

I just got back from a trip to NW MO and it seemed like there was some kind of hemlock everywhere I looked. One pasture was covered with it as far as I could see and I could see at least 100 acres.

I don't worry about it here because there isn't that much but what do goat owners do when it makes up about 10% of the pasture?

P.S. NW MO is beautiful. If it didn't get so hot and muggy I'd consider moving there. I love all the hills and valleys and especially all the biodiversity.

[ozark_jewels]

We have it all over down here. We are fighting it back in all our pastures on this old farm, since we took over 3 years ago.
The goats nibble it here and there, then they move on. They especially like the young green tops. The cows and horses don't touch it.
I do not worry about them eating it, but I still will iradicate it, I will, I will......Its just going to be quite a process.
We have been mowing it every year before it goes to seed, and we have cut it back a lot already.
Of course the neighbor has a bumper crop.

[Alice In TX/MO]

I looked for images of Hemlock, and apparently there is a weed hemlock and a tree hemlock. Which one is a problem?

[carasel]

alice, it's the weed that's the problem. do a search on this site. i believe it was here. someone posted about a bad reaction to the sap..

[fishhead]

I'm aware of water hemlock and poison hemlock.


Here's the poison hemlock.

http://extension.missouri.edu/public...x?P=ipm1007-63


Our water hemlock grows much larger.

http://www.minnesotawildflowers.info...poison-hemlock

[dragonchick]

Poison Hemlock and Queen Anne's Lace also look very much alike.

[motdaugrnds]

I have learned our herd of goats do not eat what will harm them. I have seen them eat poke salad greens/black berries; and I know the black berries are poisonous to humans. It did not harm the goats. (I still make every attempt to rid our 6 acres of anything poisonous and/or thorny.)