Ragwort Frustration!

JellyBeanSkittle

JellyBeanSkittle

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Having spent the best part of the last two weeks plucking the dreadful weed from my winter fields, we go to get the horses in this evening to find Mr farmer next door has just mown his crop into oblivion!

When will people start to realise that this stuff needs proper attention and sorting out!? Is so frustrating :( Am guessing when the field has dried out and dies off that the seeds will now be blown across to my side and the vicious circle will start all over again!

Huff...............
 
I always thought it was a notifiable weed and needed to be dealt with properly ... however driving round the Country I have found that this horrid plant is now totally out of control.

I live near Knepp Castle Estate, where Horses, Rare Breed Cows, Pigs and Deer run free and all you see are acres and acres of this yellow beast ..... I even saw that one of these fields was mowed down and the 'crop' removed and then the Rare Breed Cattle were allowed straight on it to graze ..... I was speechless :confused:
 
Ragwort is a notifiable weed, although who polices it is another question. I recently saw a workforce at the side of the A3 in Surrey removing loads, I was very impressed but it was only the tip of the iceberg. It is out of control this year, probably mainly because of cutback in local councils they are now mowing the sides of the roads.
Ragwort is only poisonous to horses, not cattle, sheep etc as I understand it. It can be toxic to people thats why one should wear gloves when handling it but I dont know how it affects people.
 
ygale said:
Ragwort is a notifiable weed, although who polices it is another question. I recently saw a workforce at the side of the A3 in Surrey removing loads, I was very impressed but it was only the tip of the iceberg. It is out of control this year, probably mainly because of cutback in local councils they are now mowing the sides of the roads.
Ragwort is only poisonous to horses, not cattle, sheep etc as I understand it. It can be toxic to people thats why one should wear gloves when handling it but I dont know how it affects people.
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Ragwort is poisonous to all mammals, not just horses and people. Cattle and sheep rarely show signs of liver poisoning even if they have eaten it as they tend to have very short lives. It affects people in just the same way as any other mammal - it causes liver damage.
Most animals are actually wise enough to not eat the stuff when it is growing, so long as they have an adequate alternative. The real problem arises if it gets into hay/lage, it is much more palatable when dry.

OP. we have stopped pulling the damned stuff - we now burn it with a 'weed wand', in situ - it works a treat, even on the tiniest rosettes.
 
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Ragwort is only poisonous to horses, not cattle, sheep etc as I understand it
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As far as I know it IS poisonous to these animals, it's just that they are slaughtered before they show any symptoms of that poisoning. Scary, as their contaminated livers then enter the human food chain :(
 
Pearlsasinger said:
Ragwort is poisonous to all mammals, not just horses and people. Cattle and sheep rarely show signs of liver poisoning even if they have eaten it as they tend to have very short lives. It affects people in just the same way as any other mammal - it causes liver damage.
Most animals are actually wise enough to not eat the stuff when it is growing, so long as they have an adequate alternative. The real problem arises if it gets into hay/lage, it is much more palatable when dry.

OP. we have stopped pulling the damned stuff - we now burn it with a 'weed wand', in situ - it works a treat, even on the tiniest rosettes.
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What is a 'weed wand' ?? I want one! :D

Yes, it is poisonous to humans and Defra recommend wearing non porus (sp) gloves, a mask, and clothes that fully cover you (i.e legs and arms).
 
Ragwort definitely poisonous to cattle particularly from big bale haylage made by topping fields containing ragwort and baling the cut grass.
Two different farmers have told me about such incidents.

Sheep can nibble rosettes with no apparent effect--farms with sheep rarely have a ragwort problem.

I am totally disgusted I walked up river and the seeds from this lot will be washed onto my grazing with autumn floods. I have pulled around 30 plants on my 10 acres this year--think there will be many more next year or year after.

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when out walking across downland I was pulling the darn stuff up as I went past it. Never had a chance of getting it all but I made a difference!
Three times, twice by walkers and a cyclist I was told I was destroying feeding for wildlife!

All were totally ignorant of the dangers to stock. They are educated now! LOL

As a chills little ragwort was ever seen any that did appear was pulled by anyone who saw it. Wish it were the same nowadays.
 
We have just come back from Dorset and I saw loads and loads of ragwort. I don't think we saw any with horses but we did see plenty round cows.

My kids have just been educated about this stuff and every time we were out in the car or on the train all I could hear was "Mummy, look - Horrible Ragwort!"
 
Foxhunter49 said:
walking across downland I was pulling the darn stuff up as I went past it.
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I hope you had the permission of the landowner because if you didn't you may have committed an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Ragwort contains chemicals, other than the main toxins, that can cause contact dermatitis. That's why the COP says you should cover up.

The facemask is to prevent hay fever. I know this because it said it in the draft COP but, unfortunately, the reference to hay fever was deleted from the final version.

Ragwort can cause illness and death in horses but that is, mostly, if their owners don't trouble to learn the facts about it and how to deal with it.

Many of the things I read about horse-owners actions against ragwort actually increase the chance of the plant re-growing.
 
I have had more grow this year than ever before and i'm fighting a losing battle because the highways agency border me on one side and neighbours with land but no horses on the other and both are infested with the stuff.

The only way I can clear it is to keep spraying the stuff.
 
BBH, I know how you feel! Have had hubby helping clear some more today from another of our fields. Wouldn't it be a fabulous idea to get all those useless yobs who were involved with the riots, to do a rather lot of community service and pick this horrible weed?!!
 
JellyBeanSkittle said:
Wouldn't it be a fabulous idea to get all those useless yobs who were involved with the riots, to do a rather lot of community service and pick this horrible weed?!!
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No, it wouldn't. Pulling ragwort done by people who don't understand how the plant grows could easily increase the likelihood of its return.

Ragwort seed needs bare ground to germinate. If you pull a plant and leave a patch of bare earth behind you are inviting ragwort to appear.

That's why control of ragwort is all about pasture management. It's about making sure you have a good sward that won't allow ragwort to reseed.
 
Our land is not too bad - but it's being continually grazed by horses (and a few goats and geese) and yard staff keep well on top of it. YO rents the land from Will Hine (high goal polo player) and he keeps his polo ponies there too, so land management is a high priority.

However, some of the fields on the way to the yard (not to mention some over the verges) are appalling. There are two fields, in particular - right next to each other - where the grass is almost non-existence, there are several hoses grazing (including a foal) and the ragwort comes up to their backs! I did see someone in the field, dressed in a suit and on a mobile phone the other day, so perhaps they've been reported.

P
 
The only effective way to kill Ragwort is to spray it.
Pulling it up leaves roots in the ground which re-generate to form new plants.
Ragwort is a culmative poison and each time a mammal ingest some Ragwort then some of their liver cells are destroyed.
Report Ragwort to DEFRA.
 
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