Ragwort vs mouldy s feed as source of stock losses
- Thread starter Bogweevil
- Start date
- Location
- North Somerset.
Another single issue pressure group that wants conventional wisdom turned on its head to suit their ‘special needs’
I think Mr Shardlow should go out into a field heavily contaminated with Ragwort, and spend an hour pulling the ragwort with his bare hands and then come speak with us... Twit.
Goweresque
Member
- Location
- North Wilts
To be fair I do often wonder if the danger from ragwort is over blown. The amount of silage that gets made with ragwort in it must be fairly significant, as early cuts are taken well before the flowering stage, so spotting it to pull is nigh on impossible. I've seen many grass fields that have obviously been silaged showing signs of ragwort regrowth, so the first cut must have had some in it. If ragwort was as toxic to livestock as is commonly thought one would expect far more cases of poisoning than there are.
A lot of the stock eating that silage will have a short life expectancy.
I'm having increasing troubles with photosensitivity -1-2% a year- which we're suspicious is being partly caused by ragwort and bracken creeping into the fodder.
It's hard to know.
There is a 500 acre block of hls grass that someone making into hay around here , it’s full of the stuff and the send the lot to wales for feed.
Had a lad pulling the feckin stuff all this week, don't really need some expert telling us it's pointless
Grassman
Member
- Location
- Derbyshire
I tend to agree. I have seen a lot of ragwort in silage crops when I used to do a fair bit of contracting but was not flowering.
I did read it takes quite a large amount of ragwort to be eaten regularly for it to be harmful. How true I dont know.
But I think it gets a far worse name than it deserves. I have actually never heard of a definite case of ragwort poisoning in horses. They do seem to find plenty of other things to make them ill
Wants some sheep in there in the spring. They soon clear it out.Had a lad pulling the feckin stuff all this week, don't really need some expert telling us it's pointless
View attachment 976986
Yeah you're right, it's just that it's one of the few fields we have that's well enough fenced for cattle so that's all that goes in there.
I think as big an issue with ragwort, aside from how toxic it may be, is the fact that it will colonize a field if left to its own devices.
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
Good dose of forefront nukes it
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
Horses will eat round it in a haynet
- Location
- Shropshire
That’s a fair old cropHad a lad pulling the feckin stuff all this week, don't really need some expert telling us it's pointless
View attachment 976986
Must consult the ELMS options see what the £/Ha payment is for cinnabar moth.
- Location
- Shropshire
Well, something has grown well then....Had a lad pulling the feckin stuff all this week, don't really need some expert telling us it's pointless
View attachment 976986
2,4D next year
I tend to agree. I have seen a lot of ragwort in silage crops when I used to do a fair bit of contracting but was not flowering.
I did read it takes quite a large amount of ragwort to be eaten regularly for it to be harmful. How true I dont know.
But I think it gets a far worse name than it deserves. I have actually never heard of a definite case of ragwort poisoning in horses. They do seem to find plenty of other things to make them ill
There was a rsather stupid chap not far from us who put 2 ponies on his fields that were infested with Ragwort, lost both and was trying topin it on all manner of spurious reasons. PM came back.... Ragwort poisoning...
- Location
- Shropshire
Does it not go dark round your neck the woodsNo chance; eco landlord
No chance; eco landlord
2,4D at rosette stage, nothing for him to see...
Weed wiper? At least this kills the roots and stops the plant and is then easier to pull... in theory.