Ragwort

Bill the Bass

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cumbria
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?
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
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:rolleyes:
 

Bill the Bass

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cumbria
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

Member
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.
 

HarryB97

Member
Mixed Farmer
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

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cumbria
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

Member
Location
Monmouth
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
 
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
 
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.
 

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