Ragwort

[Bill the Bass]

We pulled a lot of ragwort out of a pasture last year. It’s been sprayed for docks this year and there is still a lot of ragwort in patches . How long is it poisonous for? Cattle will be kept out for 7 days anyway but should they be kept out longer?

 

[davidroberts30]

Keep stock out until the ragwort is a soft mushy mess (min 2 weeks)

 

[davidroberts30]

What spray did you use?flouroxypour dont do ragwort

 

[Bill the Bass]

What spray did you use?flouroxypour dont do ragwort

Contractor did it so I don’t know, which seems very lazy I know. He did tell me when he left that the cattle should be kept off the ragwort so Iam assuming that the spray he used will kill ragwort also.

 

[Bury the Trash]

If theres stem or foliage still present then there will be poison in there , well for a lot longer that 7 days anyway.
Which is why it's better to remove it.blinkin rummage, who says natural plants are good

 

[oakleaf]

TBH l wouldnt like to chance it that quickly at all.
I've seen it take 3 to 4 weeks to be safe to graze.

 

[Bill the Bass]

I’ve spent half an hour yesterday and today pulling and digging up a few whilst looking round. I am going to walk the field a bit more strategically tomorrow morning and see if I can electric fence some of it off as it seems the worst bits are nearest the roadside hedge.

It’s a real PITA when we are getting short of grass.

 

[D.S.S18]

i rented some land which was known to have ragwort -

3rd year into it, were getting on top, but it been a mix of grazing with sheep, spot spraying with glysophate or grazon and topping and leaving, depending on the situation.
fingers crossed were getting on top of it now, good luck.

 

[Nearly]

Don't forget that ragwort is a biennial.
You need to attack it with intent for 2 years minimum.

 

[HarryB97]

Unless it's really bad and there is nothing else to eat they will be fine, the amount of kgs of ragwort that have to be consumed to kill each year is huge. Stock won't readily eat it unless there are no alternatives.

 

[Bill the Bass]

Unless it's really bad and there is nothing else to eat they will be fine, the amount of kgs of ragwort that have to be consumed to kill each year is huge. Stock won't readily eat it unless there are no alternatives.

I read that they have to eat 3kgs of it to poison them which seems a lot of ragwort florets to me?

 

[Loftyrules]

Unless it's really bad and there is nothing else to eat they will be fine, the amount of kgs of ragwort that have to be consumed to kill each year is huge. Stock won't readily eat it unless there are no alternatives.

It will still do damage to the liver even if it doesn't kill them. It has been proven that pulling by hand with no gloves on still gets it into the blood stream of humans. The dead plants are palatable so maybe spray after grazing instead

 

[clod hopper]

I’ve spent half an hour yesterday and today pulling and digging up a few whilst looking round. I am going to walk the field a bit more strategically tomorrow morning and see if I can electric fence some of it off as it seems the worst bits are nearest the roadside hedge.

It’s a real PITA when we are getting short of grass.

Graze some sheep they will clean it up and keep on top of it + the docks too

 

[Tarw Coch]

Graze some sheep they will clean it up and keep on top of it + the docks too

So is it not poisonous to sheep or being sheep are they just likely to die of something else first. After all, we all know that a sheeps main aim in life is to find a novel way to die.?

 

[clod hopper]

So is it not poisonous to sheep or being sheep are they just likely to die of something else first. After all, we all know that a sheeps main aim in life is to find a novel way to die.?

?I know!!
But they love the stuff! Years ago in NZ dairy farmers used to keep say 5 or 6 sheep solely to keep on top of the ragwart problem. They can get addicted to it!

 

[deleted user 837354]

Spraying for docks is unlikely to coincide with the right time to spray ragwort unfortunately. Be surprised if the contractor has used a spray that will kill both.

 

[Bill the Bass]

Spraying for docks is unlikely to coincide with the right time to spray ragwort unfortunately. Be surprised if the contractor has used a spray that will kill both.

Okay, that’s helpful. Thanks.

 

[Bill the Bass]

Graze some sheep they will clean it up and keep on top of it + the docks too

We stopped wintering sheep on this block so we can get cows out earlier. I think there is definitely something to be said for adding them back in.

 

[Tarw Coch]

Spraying for docks is unlikely to coincide with the right time to spray ragwort unfortunately. Be surprised if the contractor has used a spray that will kill both.

There’s usually a bit pops up here down the side of the railway line and a water course. Docks were sprayed about a month ago, there’s no sign of ragwort raising its head yet so presumably it’s much later.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

That's why we used to just crush them under the heel and drop a spoonful of salt on them - they're like a dried arrangement in 2 or 3 days.