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Copyright 2010, Kathy Voth, Livestock for Landscapes, All rights reserved
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Background
Weed eating benefits
What's Edible?
Projects
How to get started
What people are saying
Meet the inventor
Links

 

Cow Pointer

Educated Cows Eat Weeds!

Calf eats musk thistle
This calf learned from her trained mother that musk thistle is good to eat

I was tickled.
The cows can get to it at times and places that we just can’t get to with herbicide.

Rob Alexander
Rob Alexander, Ag Resources Manager Boulder County Parks and Open Space

Weed Eating Benefits

Great Nutrition
Most weeds are the equivalent of alfalfa or better in protein value. More....

Fatter Cattle
Cattle eating a higher protein diet gain weight more rapidly. We've found that weed-eating cattle gain weight at or above expected rates and breed back normally. More...

More Forage
Weed-eating cows aren’t limited to traditional forages. Economist John Morley estimated that some producers could have as much as 43% more forage.

Reduced Herbicide Use
Herbicides and their application can be expensive. Reduce or eliminate that cost and you're well on your way to making more money. Recent studies also show that herbicides weed control doesn't increase livestock production. More...

Increased Profits
Matt Rinella, Miles City, Montana Agriculture Research Service, looked at a 17-state region and calculated that if weeds were no longer an issue, producers could raise 200,000 more cattle and save tens of millions of dollars.

What Else do Economists Say?

See the Youtube Video on the “Economics of Weed-Eating Cows" to find out more.