Ragwort getting worse -UK

[Gingerwitch]

Apart from mothie is this poisonous to cattle as well ? I think someone said sheep ear it ? Is this because we eat them before they get to die naturally ?

 

[ester]

It's poisonous to everything we just tend to kill and eat sheep before they experience the effects.

 

[rabatsa]

Some ragwort does need to be left in some places as it is the only home for the cinnibar moth, no ragwort end of the moth species too.

They live on groundsel as well so I do not feel bad about removing ragwort.

 

[TheresaW]

I wish I could use one of those blow torch weed burner things on it. At the moment, it seems for every one I’ve pulled tonight, 2 more will be there tomorrow!

 

[Pedantic]

I think they are trying to win a prize for it in the field next to us, complacency from some horse owners seems just as deadly as the plant.

 

[case895]

I normally have to remove around 50 pieces a year, mostly very small ones. This year so far I have removed 300 plants and some for to a metre tall before I noticed them. I remove them from my neighbours' land too, otherwise it would just spread back to mine.

 

[MrsMozartleto]

What did the FB post say?

I'm scouring the field on a daily basis in case I've missed any popping up.

Is it just me or are they taller this year?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Apart from mothie is this poisonous to cattle as well ? I think someone said sheep ear it ? Is this because we eat them before they get to die naturally ?

Re sheep - we have pet sheep who stay with us until the end of their natural lives, which is usually at least 11 years. They don't appear to have any problems with ragwort poisoning but you do see opposing views. I'm not sure I would want to eat meat from an animal that had been poisoned though, anyway.

 

[MiniMilton]

Apart from mothie is this poisonous to cattle as well ? I think someone said sheep ear it ? Is this because we eat them before they get to die naturally ?

Cattle tend to avoid it unless its dried in hay potentially causing fatal liver damage. Sheep actively eat it when it is green and I would go as far to say they (well mine anyway) seek it out. Sheep are just less susceptible to the toxic alkaloids in it for whatever reason. That plus the fact a sheep's natural lifespan is half that of a cow, it never really gets a chance to effect them.

 

[Lots of Gift Bags]

My previous YO got sheep and said it was to eat the ragwort but they didn't eat it all the time there was still grass in the fields, so we still had to pull it plus had less grass as the sheep ate it all!
I've kept on top of mine quite easily but next door had quite a lot, they've now topped it all off but not until after it had flowered so I'll still be pulling it every year I think. There's also a fenced back between our fields, belongs to them but Mr JB hopped over and got some huge ragwort plants from it this year, he filled 6 or 7 large sacks but there are still a couple of flowering plants there.
I don't mind it by the roadside where it's not near grazing land and I don't see how the council will have the funding to get it pulled. There's not enough community spirit these days to get people to volunteer to do it!

 

[Steerpike]

I wonder if it's worse now because councils are not cutting verges as often as they used it, when I was a kid I'm sure they used to cut verges at least twice a year, now we are lucky to see it done once near us.

 

[luckyoldme]

Thoughy of this thread today..last week further down south I noticed its also a big year for berries.
Back home in Scotland they are starting to appear in abundance to.
Also looks like its going to be a bumper year for mushrooms too. Ive spotted a fair few funny looking ones evan thiught it seems a bit early.
Looking forward to getting back oug in the forrests and seeing the red ones with thd little yellow dots wouldnt chancd touching them but they look like little fairy tale mushrooms!