Re: The dreaded ragwort....

[Exfarmer]

The alkaloids in ragwort slowly destroy liver function, it is a cumulative affect and once destroyed that portion can never be regained. All stock are affected equally, but sheep need to die of something so they happily eat ragwort.
Eating any amount of ragwort will cause a lack of thrift in stock.
Stock will not normally eat ragwort when it is growing, but it does seem some horses get a taste for it especially if grazing is short. Ragwort as in most poisonous plants is very bitter which thankfully deters most grazing. As we know this bitterness is lost in drying to make hay, which is when most stock suffer poisoning
The Oxford ragwort is non native but is the dominant species seen today, the native species are far less aggressive except for groundsel, but being a mainly arable weed is not usually a problem in grazing.

 

[toquark]

There used to be loads of ragwort on one of my fields which was a pony paddock for a long time. The sheep grazed it all out. The only reason it’s so closely associated with horses is because they don’t eat it at all so it appears where they graze for more than a few seasons.

 

[David1968]

If there's a lot of it, cutting can be more effective than pulling and leaving bits of root behind. Wait till it flowers and most of them won't regrow because they think their jobs done. You have to take stock off for a couple of weeks or so, depending on the grass growth. Even if they're still in the bottom, they're not going to go digging for them if there's a decent amount of grass cover.

And before anyone says about spreading the seed, if you get them in the early stage of flowering, they're not like thistles where they continue to ripen and set the seed after they're cut.

 

[honeyend]

Over the years I have pulled acres of ragwort, usually on land I have taken over. I pull in gloves and long sleeves when it is flowering, it is at the end of its life cycle and its a lot easier to pull, and usually the lot comes out in one go, including the roots. Its a skin irritant and for the sake of gloves I would not risk it.
Over the years I have had pet plants which I have tried just about everything on, including a flame thrower and the on thing that makes a dent in it is pulling, and spraying in spring, close grazing makes it worse, even regular mowing it has no effect. One year I watched the cinnabar moths on several plants just to see how much damage they actually did, not a lot.
If I have a lot in a new field, I divide in to sections, and pull as a move the fence line forward, which means at least you feel as if you are getting somewhere, and stops grazing animals from knocking it over, and the leave dying in the grass.
I have a spare bin that I put it in until its absolutely dried out and rotting so the seeds can not travel.

 

[robs1]

This appears to be totally untrue.

The pyrrolizidine alkaloids which are the cause of the poisoning/liver damage are passed in the urine and do not accumulate in the liver, and a human would need to actually eat a considerable quantity of ragwort to suffer any significant liver damage.

There are other toxins in ragwort which can give rise to severe cases of dermatitis in people who have skin allegies.

Whilst I would certainly agree that it is advisable to wear gloves (the ragwort juices will discolour your hands apart from anything else), beyond the dermatitis there doesn't seem to be any evidence of any further health risk to humans from handling it with bare hands.

This web page and those linked from it may be helpful: Ragwort poisoning in humans

That is good if true, I found a government article that says it definitely can be absorbed through the skin and was unsure how much is required to make you ill, I couldnt find much reference to whether it is removed but in horses it isnt according to a vet . Regardless of what's right I think it's best not to take chances with it

 

[Dry Rot]

Wizz around with the knapsack tied onto the back of the quad every spring (with baler twine, of course). Almost down to zero now. Quite easy when your eye becomes attuned to spotting them and you can make parallel tracks in the grass.

 

[Montexy]

In May and June I hit them with roundup on a knapsack sprayer then July onward when they have alot of growth pull them (with gloves on) and take the plant remains away, do it at least once a week.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Don't bother with a sprayer, the sheep will take them out at the rosette stage.

 

[Estate fencing.]

Good evening...hope everyone is staying cool-ish??

I need a little advice please - my husband and I are about to take our first delivery of 6 ewes...it's something we have been working towards for a long time!
However - there was a lot of ragwort the other side of our stock-fencing which we have climbed over and pulled to erradicate, and there was the odd ragwort in our 5 acre field before pulling...
Are the ewes safe to graze or do I need to partition the field to stop them before we get the better of the dreaded weed?? I am being totally paranoid but want to ensure our first little flock is safe!
All advice greatly received!!!

Don't worry about the ragwort, the sheep will die for some random reason that you never even thought about.

 

[steveR]

I know a man who got very ill picking it bare handed

My one neighbour gets quite poorly if he was to try pulling ragwort bare handed.

 

[Dry Rot]

Don't bother with a sprayer, the sheep will take them out at the rosette stage.

I'd rather have the ragwort!

 

[Ploughmaster]

that site is well dodgy....i wouldn't trust a word of it.

Dodgy because it disagrees with your perception of ragwort?

I could have posted links to a number of science based websites which say the same thing, but picked that one as being a bit more straightforward to understand without getting bogged down with lots of scientific data.

 

[mrsmojos]

Don't worry about the ragwort, the sheep will die for some random reason that you never even thought about.

...Not a glass half full kind of guy I note

 

[Estate fencing.]

...Not a glass half full kind of guy I note

Just keep a lot of sheep and have found 500 ways the buggers die and sure I will find more.

 

[Ploughmaster]

That is good if true, I found a government article that says it definitely can be absorbed through the skin ....

Yes, I read that too, but with a bit of deeper research found that it stemmed from statements about ragwort made to the House of Commons and attributed to a Dr. Derek Knottenbelt who claimed that the toxins can be absorbed through the skin, but for which he could provide no scientific evidence to back that statement up.

It seems that the toxins do not build up in the liver of any animal; I think there is perhaps confusion over this, as it is a proven fact that damage to the liver from ragwort poisoning doesn't heal and therefore is indeed cumulative (as Exfarmer has already said).

 

[mrsmojos]

Just keep a lot of sheep and have found 500 ways the buggers die and sure I will find more.

I would be grateful of your knowledge. I am not lying when I say I am a novice - I'm not going into it blind - I've done smallholding courses and read a lot - but there's nothing like experience. I am also an ex District Nursing Sister so I am made of stern stuff and not afraid to get stuck in with what needs doing...as I said before - all advice greatfully appreciated!!

 

[essexpete]

Having pulled thousands upon thousands -never with gloves, and still apparently with a functioning liver- I find that leaving a bit of root gives rise to a multitude of shoots the following year.
these in turn get difficult to pull completely, and it's possible to end up with a huge bush of the wretched stuff.
Dry conditions are worse for pulling effectively, although if it's in mowing ground, you've got to do what you've got to do.
Once the number of plants is down to small numbers, I'll get out the pocket knife and grub out any broken bit of root.

Summer grazing sheep are a wonderful help.

Absolutely, even digging with a dedicated fork, broken root can result in a ring of fresh plants. Still better than letting the plant flower and seed.
The best control I have had was a pinch of ammonium nitrate dropped directly in the middle of the rossett. Plant burns and disappears very quickly. Urea does not work very well.

 

[Deepwater]

The alkaloids in ragwort slowly destroy liver function, it is a cumulative affect and once destroyed that portion can never be regained. All stock are affected equally, but sheep need to die of something so they happily eat ragwort.
Eating any amount of ragwort will cause a lack of thrift in stock.
Stock will not normally eat ragwort when it is growing, but it does seem some horses get a taste for it especially if grazing is short. Ragwort as in most poisonous plants is very bitter which thankfully deters most grazing. As we know this bitterness is lost in drying to make hay, which is when most stock suffer poisoning
The Oxford ragwort is non native but is the dominant species seen today, the native species are far less aggressive except for groundsel, but being a mainly arable weed is not usually a problem in grazing.

Oxford Ragwort is a small plant of waste spaces. It grows in the same places as groundsel. It is not the dominant plant in pasture. The species which we are talking about, Common Rawort or just Ragwort, is a native plant. If you have oxford ragwort or groundsel in your pasture then you are not looking after it properly as it would be looking like waste ground all sorts of weeds in it.

 

[Bury the Trash]

yet more Twaddle .


'Oxford' Ragwort will blow in from roadside verges .embankments and Railways and grow even on well managed' Permanent Pasture or leys in a rotation.
Laying up and Making hay will give it chance to survive flower and run to seed , particularly if mowing is delayed as in some of our seasons.

The Reason i know that for a fact is from experience not some website .

 

[Bury the Trash]

Good evening...hope everyone is staying cool-ish??

I need a little advice please - my husband and I are about to take our first delivery of 6 ewes...it's something we have been working towards for a long time!
However - there was a lot of ragwort the other side of our stock-fencing which we have climbed over and pulled to erradicate, and there was the odd ragwort in our 5 acre field before pulling...
Are the ewes safe to graze or do I need to partition the field to stop them before we get the better of the dreaded weed?? I am being totally paranoid but want to ensure our first little flock is safe!
All advice greatly received!!!

There are various effective ways of removing it ,which yes would be a good call speaking as a farmer.
but also rember that Damaging natural Alkaloids are found in plenty of other plants to varying degrees as well, such as some types of Laurel and Rhododendron et c etc,
long term liver damage in sheep is an unknown until in the future they start getting thin and thinner ie wont help longevity especially with other debilitating diseases like fasciolosis etc
but best by far would be for you to look up the subject along with many , many others on sheep keeping , on this Forum, its very informative and useful for and written by practical farmers .
Maybe Worth noting Farming is a marathon not a sprint.

Happy days.