Just curious… The horse don’t eat it and leave it behind in the nets. I can’t place it due to being dried out. FWIW, it is an otherwise all Timothy bale.
I found a few of those same looking ‘pods’ in my local grass hay. No idea what weed it is. Never seen it before, so I’m curious too…
Just wait and see what grows in your field this spring after they poop it out.
I hate finding garbage cuttings in my hay.
Looks to me like mullein. Different species may have slightly different seed heads or some of the seeds may have been knocked off in the baling process. Look for large hairy, soft, gray-green leaves in a low whirl and yellow flower stalk in summer.
https://garden.org/plants/photo/227417/
[URL=“https://garden.org/plants/photo/227417/”]http://www.ninemileprairie.com/a-circle-around-the-sun-3/december-once-again/mullein-seed-head-cu/
Is it possibly pokeweed?
I an thinking pokeweed is a very likely guess.
Definitely not Pokeweed
www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Phytollacca+americaa
Very probably verbascum/mullein
Common mullein is not considered toxic, and can be a desirable wild flower. Mullein has been an herbal remedy for coughing since antiquity.
It is likely unpalatable to your horses.
Can you plant some of the seeds and see what grows?
You mean plant them and wait a year before realizing nothing is coming up? Yeah I can try that :lol: :lol:
Sorry, I kill cactus AND succulents. No idea how. Plants hate me.
[QUOTE=TheJenners;9030193]
You mean plant them and wait a year before realizing nothing is coming up? Yeah I can try that :lol: :lol:
Sorry, I kill cactus AND succulents. No idea how. Plants hate me.[/QUOTE]
Lol I kill coleus which is supposedly easy to grow and durable (not in my hands!) and have troubles growing cat grass.
I still think maybe pokeweed
It’s definitely not pokeweed. Pokeweed does not get as woody as the OP’s pics show. It’s more herbaceous during the growing season and turns pretty much to wilted mush once cold weather/frost arrives.
I stand by mullein. OP did you by any chance find flat, soft, rather large, hairy leaves or leaf pieces in the hay too? The leaf rosette has usually died down to ground level once the seed stalk is mature; to low to be cut or get in the baler, but it could lend another clue.
DH suggested possibly velvet leaf/buttonweed but I disagree. (Friendly spousal discord. We met studying commercial ag and getting horticulture degrees, many moons ago.) The seed stalk of velvet leaf isn’t quite a right match for the OP either.
I did see that but didn’t touch it, thought it might have been thistle.
Thistle leaves tend to be more “leathery” and have sharp spines. Much as I don’t like to touch them either, I also don’t want my horse accidentally getting a bite of them and a nasty poke in the mouth. I’d put on a pair of leather gloves if I had to remove them from my hay or else where.
Mullein leaves are hairy, but not particularly prickly. The small fuzzy hairs may be a little irritating only because they may be itchy. They are not prickery. Pretty easy to remove from hay and just discard, although I find my horses usually eat around the occasional one. I imagine they don’t enjoy a mouth full of cotton-like feed.
Definitely Mullein Weed! It grows everywhere out here in Colorado and we get quite a bit in our home-baled hay. It’s not harmful that I know of, but horses won’t eat it.
