hay making and buttercups!

[china]

Answers on a postcard please. Have a section of field for hay and just been and walked around it, have a huge amount out there so was considering getting an early cut but it has a fair amount of buttercup going through it. Is this safe to cut and bale, ovb ragwort is deadly dry so wondered about buttercup.farmer doesn't seem to known.

 

[Spring Feather]

Buttercups are absolutely fine once dried and in hay.

 

[Polos Mum]

Ragwort is deadly living or dried - it's just some horses find it bitter when it's living.

Buttercup can cause blisters on their mouths when they eat it - sorry not sure whether they loose this toxicity when dried. But early or late cut won't make any difference as the buttercups will still be there in six weeks time.
Might take longer to make as the buttercup stems are quite thick and juicy - so you might need an extra day or two to make sure you don't have dampness in the bales.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Dried buttercups in hay are absolutely safe. So don't worry and go ahead and take your hay whilst the sun is still shining!

 

[irishdraft]

Buttercup in hay is fine the bitterness/poison goes completly when dried