Ragwort

adne

I have some meadow fields that i sprayed but there is still some ragwort (Bohalawnns) in these fields.
Is it safe to cut this for silage or is the ragwort posionous in the silage?

hidden

Ragwort can still cause liver failure in cattle and horses that eat silage with ragwort in it.
http://www.thecattlesite.com/diseaseinfo/229/ragwort-poisoning

F.D

What is the best way to control it and when from anyones own experience i have seen different write ups on it but not a lot of detail,
i see some of it starting to come up in our field, we have started to hand pull some of it, Can you spray it this time of year? with what? and whats the withdrawl perid before you can start grazing again?

pakalasa

The best way is to pull it by hand. If it has flowered, ie. gone yellow on top, it will still spread seed if left lying on the ground in the field. Better to take it out of the field altogether.
Seems like a lot of work, but worth it in the long run.
To be honest, I've never heard of cattle being poisoned by them, different maybe when it comes to silage. Down my way, they will clear a silage field of them by hand before cutting.

doctor evil

Ragwort is a noxious that slowly poisons the liver, by law it is meant to be cleared and disposed. Of course, our stupid goverment and builders seem to forget this.

As far as I know sheep can eat the ragwort rossettes, babby ragwort.

Casinoking

Any amount of ragwort is lethal in silage to both cattle and horses, but as far as I know sheep are immune to it. The best way to get rid of it is to pull it, but this isn't always practical if there's a bad infestation. You can spray with 2,4-D (different brand names like Dioweed, D50 etc) and the most effective time to treat is March-May when the plants are small. Once they get to flowering stage you're wasting your time. After you've sprayed you should leave at least 4 weeks before grazing or mowing to allow the weeds die off. They're at their most dangerous in the 2 weeks after spraying because they only become palatable to stock when they're dying, hence the problem in silage or hay.

alphamale 1

Ragwort is a poisonous and noxious weed. It would be a problem if it was ensile as it becomes sweet to animals. The best way to control is to spray it (March-May) and again in September. it is a noxious weed and falls in under the 1946 Noxious weed act. I would also recommend that they are pulled at te root by hand and if they are topped it is important not to let animals eat them. I also recommend all farmers who have a problem to get about 10-15 sheep as they keep them away.

For more info check [url]www.teagasc.ie:cool:[/url]

whelan1

a neighbour of mine lost 5 cows with ragworth posioning in the silage , we spray around april when it is just starting to grow you have to be very careful that it is not frosty as it wont kill properly - past experience had to re do it - i would pull them if i was you before you cut

squarebale

sheep are not immune to it as it is a poison and provokes no immune response. However, they are less susceptible to its poisonous effects and therefore can help to clear land of it. Grazing in March on tight pasture by sheep will help to rid land of it. They will eat the young plants. Horses are the most susceptible to it. It will kill. I've seen it. And it ain't nice. Wear gloves when pullingit especially if your liver dos'nt have much spare capacity - the demon drink:):)

pakalasa

squarebale wrote: »

.... Wear gloves when pullingi t especially if your liver dos'nt have much spare capacity ......:):)

sh**, didn't realise it was that poisonous:eek:

You should see the roads down our way, covered in the stuff......suprising the IFA or someone doesn't take a test case against the local authorities...

whelan1

it is illegal you are supposed to control it under the noxious weeds act ...... never heard of a prosecution we'd all be in jail at that rate:D

roosterman71

When I was young, my father used to send me out pulling Ragwort the whole time. Its the only way to get rid of them though. But they ain't easy to get out of the ground alot of the time

whelan1

ye hurty hands :D hateful job a bit like pulling wild oats but they are a bit easier to get out

pd101

whelan1 wrote: »

ye hurty hands :D hateful job a bit like pulling wild oats but they are a bit easier to get out

Yeah I'd rather pull wild oats anyday. Spent days pulling ragwort last summer but looks like theres more coming back this year.

alphamale 1

The thing that is important is to not to leave the plant behind in the field or infected area after you as it is poisonous

k mac

Does there have to be a large amount in silage for it to be poisonous. Have silage ready for mowing tomorrow and just noticed today a small amount of ragwort in one corner of the field. Pulled alot of them but wont have time to pull them all. Will it be safe to cut is my question i suppose?

I said

k mac wrote: »

Does there have to be a large amount in silage for it to be poisonous. Have silage ready for mowing tomorrow and just noticed today a small amount of ragwort in one corner of the field. Pulled alot of them but wont have time to pull them all. Will it be safe to cut is my question i suppose?

Get as much as ya can preferably all of it

td5man

k mac wrote: »

Does there have to be a large amount in silage for it to be poisonous. Have silage ready for mowing tomorrow and just noticed today a small amount of ragwort in one corner of the field. Pulled alot of them but wont have time to pull them all. Will it be safe to cut is my question i suppose?

Get as much as you can pulled, it's surprising how much you don't see until you're mowing.

Kovu

Yep, +1 to the two replies above k mac, Even a short wander through the swarths after they're down should reveal a lot of it.

whelan2

k mac wrote: »

Does there have to be a large amount in silage for it to be poisonous. Have silage ready for mowing tomorrow and just noticed today a small amount of ragwort in one corner of the field. Pulled alot of them but wont have time to pull them all. Will it be safe to cut is my question i suppose?

1% of the animals body weight of ragworth is enough to do damage. Symptoms occurs from 6weeks to 18 months after ingestion

onyerbikepat

The last week or so, I have been strip grazing a field that got too strong. There were a few ragwort plants in it, that I was pulling bit by bit every night as I was herding. I was surprised to see that some of the plnats were eaten at the top. I pulled them all fairly quick after seeing that.

rushvalley

onyerbikepat wrote: »

The last week or so, I have been strip grazing a field that got too strong. There were a few ragwort plants in it, that I was pulling bit by bit every night as I was herding. I was surprised to see that some of the plnats were eaten at the top. I pulled them all fairly quick after seeing that.

I've also noticed the cows doing that too even though there is plenty of grass there. Nothing bad has happened yet thank God.

nhg

Absolutely disgusted that a bypass of our local town (has a walking path along it) has a large quantity of ragworth growing on it grass margin - the council should be out pulling it & showing good example not allowing it to seed & spread

roosterman71

nhg wrote: »

Absolutely disgusted that a bypass of our local town (has a walking path along it) has a large quantity of ragworth growing on it grass margin - the council should be out pulling it & showing good example not allowing it to seed & spread

Is it not covered by some piece of legislation related to "Noxious Weeds"? If so, get onto the council to have it cleared. If you owned land beside that road you would be infested by it soon

Oldtree

roosterman71 wrote: »

Is it not covered by some piece of legislation related to "Noxious Weeds"? If so, get onto the council to have it cleared. If you owned land beside that road you would be infested by it soon

yes:

http://www.teagasc.ie/horticulture/advisory/vegetable/noxious-weeds.asp

"Any person responsible for land on which these weeks are growing is liable, upon conviction, to be fined. A person responsible for land may be either the owner, occupier, user or manager of the land. In the case of public roads, parks etc. local authorities have similar obligations."

frazzledhome

whelan2 wrote: »

1% of the animals body weight of ragworth is enough to do damage. Symptoms occurs from 6weeks to 18 months after ingestion

A few no harm, @1% a 500kg animal would need to injest 5kg. Seems like a lot

whelan2

frazzledhome wrote: »

A few no harm, @1% a 500kg animal would need to injest 5kg. Seems like a lot

200kg animal, 2kg , could be over a while

micraX

nhg wrote: »

Absolutely disgusted that a bypass of our local town (has a walking path along it) has a large quantity of ragworth growing on it grass margin - the council should be out pulling it & showing good example not allowing it to seed & spread

If your council has a fb page take a picture and post it on there wall, I done tgat to fingal co co last year and they pulled it quickly after that

ganmo

nhg wrote: »

Absolutely disgusted that a bypass of our local town (has a walking path along it) has a large quantity of ragworth growing on it grass margin - the council should be out pulling it & showing good example not allowing it to seed & spread

Take a picture of it and send it in an email to the county managers quoting the act. If nothin happens ring the dept of Ag

Wheelinone

micraX wrote: »

If your council has a fb page take a picture and post it on there wall, I done tgat to fingal co co last year and they pulled it quickly after that

The page or the ragwort ?

micraX

Wheelinone wrote: »

The page or the ragwort ?

Yes they pulled the page.

einn32

roosterman71 wrote: »

Is it not covered by some piece of legislation related to "Noxious Weeds"? If so, get onto the council to have it cleared. If you owned land beside that road you would be infested by it soon

Years ago the guards would tell lads to get rid of ragwort. We always have to pull a few every year while neighbouring fields are full of it and probably provide the seed for our ragwort.

k mac

Pulled as much as i could hopefully will be able pick some more out of the swards. Think 1kg of ragwort when dried would need alot of it in a bale.

whelan2

k mac wrote: »

Pulled as much as i could hopefully will be able pick some more out of the swards. Think 1kg of ragwort when dried would need alot of it in a bale.

but if its in silage it would never dry? It mightnt be in one feed but over the space of time. best to get rid of any you can see

greysides

Ragwort at sub-lethal doses is still not going to be doing any good.

Upstream

Teagasc advice is to not let cattle back onto land until ragweed is dead and rotted away, how long would you have to leave cattle out of a field for? Would it take longer now than when it's at the rosette stage?

whelan2

Upstream wrote: »

Teagasc advice is to not let cattle back onto land until ragweed is dead and rotted away, how long would you have to leave cattle out of a field for? Would it take longer now than when it's at the rosette stage?

i dont know, but some lads never let them off it after topping:eek: i would be saying 2-3 weeks but i would walk the land to make sure they where gone before i let cattle back in, maybe pick the dead ones and throw them away

Upstream

whelan2 wrote: »

i dont know, but some lads never let them off it after topping:eek: i would be saying 2-3 weeks but i would walk the land to make sure they where gone before i let cattle back in, maybe pick the dead ones and throw them away

Thanks, got a field well cleaned off, it was our worst field for them. Pulled about half and took them away and the rest were clipped, will lift as many as I can and keep the cattle off for 3 weeks for any I've missed. Starting to see them in my sleep now

whelan2

Upstream wrote: »

Thanks, got a field well cleaned off, it was our worst field for them. Pulled about half and took them away and the rest were clipped, will lift as many as I can and keep the cattle off for 3 weeks for any I've missed. Starting to see them in my sleep now

yup. was on a neighbours farm last year and i started pulling a few in his field unbeknowns to myself, he was laughing at me.... i hate ragworth

Base price

Every 4 or 5 years we would have an onslaught on them and spend a few afternoons/evenings pulling them and throwing them onto the trailer. A few people helping you and you will clear them in no time. I always pick any I see when out herding even if they are in the ditches.
Unfortunately most of our neighbours are not so conscientious and the seeds from their ones end up growing in our place.
Also very important to put the pulled ones out of reach from livestock. We used to put them in a pile at the back of the yard and after they dried out burn them with a few gallons of diesel.

KatyMac

whelan2 wrote: »

yup. was on a neighbours farm last year and i started pulling a few in his field unbeknowns to myself, he was laughing at me.... i hate ragworth

Walking past a garden in town the other day and there was two plants growing out of a crack in a wall. I pulled them much to the embarrassment of my daughters.

td5man

KatyMac wrote: »

Walking past a garden in town the other day and there was two plants growing out of a crack in a wall. I pulled them much to the embarrassment of my daughters.

It can be hard to walk passed them when you're used to pulling them.

sandydan

greysides wrote: »

Ragwort at sub-lethal doses is still not going to be doing any good.

thought ragwort poison is accumulated over time in system, or so my old vet used to say,just needs the balance to kill.

greysides

sandydan wrote: »

thought ragwort poison is accumulated over time in system, or so my old vet used to say,just needs the balance to kill.

It does, it still won't be doing the animal any good before it builds up enough to kill.

ganmo

best thing about sheep

whelan2

went out there for an hour pulling ragworth under the fences, alot easier to oull them after the rain

smokey-fitz

Went topping a field today, started on one side plenty of buttercups.. So wasnt paying to much attention to the all the yellow flowers as I was topping away.
Got off the tractor a little after half way to strain the spuds and was looking at ragwort! Oh dear.. The field was covered in it (12ac). 1000s of young flowered plants.
Finished topping anyway and moved cattle off it, I can afford to keep cattle off it for rest of the year, but what should I do now? Wait for regrowth and spray? September'ish maybe?

weatherbyfoxer

smokey-fitz wrote: »

Went topping a field today, started on one side plenty of buttercups.. So wasnt paying to much attention to the all the yellow flowers as I was topping away.
Got off the tractor a little after half way to strain the spuds and was looking at ragwort! Oh dear.. The field was covered in it (12ac). 1000s of young flowered plants.
Finished topping anyway and moved cattle off it, I can afford to keep cattle off it for rest of the year, but what should I do now? Wait for regrowth and spray? September'ish maybe?

Get yourself an lorry loads of goats...sounds like they would feel right at home!..

smokey-fitz

weatherbyfoxer wrote: »

Get yourself an lorry loads of goats...sounds like they would feel right at home!..

Or ill swipe your sheep they will do either

sandydan

smokey-fitz wrote: »

Went topping a field today, started on one side plenty of buttercups.. So wasnt paying to much attention to the all the yellow flowers as I was topping away.
Got off the tractor a little after half way to strain the spuds and was looking at ragwort! Oh dear.. The field was covered in it (12ac). 1000s of young flowered plants.
Finished topping anyway and moved cattle off it, I can afford to keep cattle off it for rest of the year, but what should I do now? Wait for regrowth and spray? September'ish maybe?

pity you didn't stop topping and spray at least half would be gone as it may not regrow good enough for spraying now before night-frosts,which may neutralize spray,
cattle aren't as quick to eat growing ragworth as withered stuff which is lethal in small doses even.
were spuds done

gozunda

smokey-fitz wrote: »

Went topping a field today, started on one side plenty of buttercups.. So wasnt paying to much attention to the all the yellow flowers as I was topping away.
Got off the tractor a little after half way to strain the spuds and was looking at ragwort! Oh dear.. The field was covered in it (12ac). 1000s of young flowered plants.
Finished topping anyway and moved cattle off it, I can afford to keep cattle off it for rest of the year, but what should I do now? Wait for regrowth and spray? September'ish maybe?

If the Ragworth plants topped are in flower you will need to remove them to prevent the seed germinating next year.

Plus If the plants dry on the ground there is a danger that cattle may eat them and be poisoned.

Not much spraying flowering plants at this stage imo.

I have previously loaded cut plants into a trailer and covered in an old pit with heavy black plastic - they eventfully rot to nothing. Some advocate burning but not too sure what the regs are about that.

If you can pull all the flowering Ragworth plants you can - plenty of older kids on school holidays with little to do -

Ragworth wars! Great game but make sure they wear gloves and cover arms and legs.
Again collect all the plants you can and remove.

The normal time for spraying is at the rosette stage early in the year - so you might have to wait till next.

I reckon once you got the cut and pulled plants out you should be ok for grazing as regrowth will only start next year. Make site to spray with a dedicated Ragworth killer then. Can't remember offhand the one I used last time.