What will eat ragwort?

[MrsElle]

The ragwort in my field is getting beyond a joke. As fast as I dig it up several more appear, and I really am fighting a losing battle. Spraying is not an option as I can't move the horses elsewhere at the moment so I was wondering if sheep or goats eat ragwort safely as a friend has offered me a couple to borrow. Will it work, sticking the goats or sheep on every few weeks for a few days?

 

[Tinypony]

They will eat it, but they will still suffer long-term liver damage.

 

[*hic*]

Well IMHO your best option would be to choose the least ragworty part of the field, dig all that is in it up, temporarily fence the horses in there whilst you get the greater part of the field sprayed, then pull the dead ragwort after the exclusion period (as you don't want them eating dead ragwort) then let the horses back in.

You won't get very good results if you spray ragwort after the rosette stage so if it's flowered I'm afraid you just need to put your back into it and pull and dig it up.

Sheep won't eat it after the rosette stage either, and they'll eat all your grass in preference. I have to say that my older (mutton) sheep have shown no signs of liver damage when we have butchered them when we have used them to clear ragwort.

eta - 7 yo sheep having had access to ragwort infrequently over the years have no liver damage.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

sheep will eat it, it is toxic to them too, but not as badly as horses and they tend to die of other things or go off for chops before it gets them. They need to be in the field for probably a couple of months and ideally in the spring, as they will eat down the rosettes as they start to grow and weaken the plant. Make sure there are enough sheep for the area, as if there are only a couple, they will choose to eat other less bitter stuff.

Sheep will also help to clear worms from the land as the horse worms generally cant survive in the sheep and vice versa, they will eat down any horse sick patches and gently fertilise the pasture, but not in a very rich way ( I still wouldnt use them if you have an actual laminitic tho as they do make the grass somewhat richer).

Goats are more browsers than grazers by nature so not sure how much use they would be, you also need very very good fencing for them and more shelter than for sheep, as they are designed for hot dry places and hate the cold/wet.

ETA you will still need to be digging the ragwort even with the sheep as the seed can lie dormant for 20 years, but the sheep will help the digging effort be bearable and manageable and also make delicious chops afterwards

 

[Finlib]

Sheep are partial to it in the young state and appear to be more resistant to the poison than cattle but they are not immune. .
Ragwort contains a number of poisonous alkaloids, but sheep and goats are less susceptible to the effects of these alkaloids than cattle. So sheep and goats will often eat ragwort,
I think they wll eat it in the floret stage but not once it is woody .Don't know if they will eat it if there is loads of grass though

 

[MochaDun]

The Cinnabar moth...it's totally dependent on it... but that is no help to you at all