Are ferns / braken poisonous??

Cow Porter

Well, there is a few ditches full of ferns, hoping to go in with asulox and be done with them, but are ferns poisonous? Read before they are, especially the young leaf, the field will be grazed a couple of weeks after spraying

Thanks

Kovu

Yes, especially when they are young & just unfurling. Cattle can suddenly develop a taste for them round this time.
Best thing to do is remove or fence off if at all possible. It is also possible for them to get chronically poisoned from the ferns dried in silage over the winter period.

I'm sure greysides may be of better help than me here though!

Cow Porter

.Kovu. wrote: »

Yes, especially when they are young & just unfurling. Cattle can suddenly develop a taste for them round this time.
Best thing to do is remove or fence off if at all possible. It is also possible for them to get chronically poisoned from the ferns dried in silage over the winter period.

I'm sure greysides may be of better help than me here though!

But are they more palatable when burnt off similar to rag worth?

Kovu

Cow Porter wrote: »

But are they more palatable when burnt off similar to rag worth?

That I don't know, I would assume that if they were cut the sugar levels would rise for the 24 or so hours afterwards. I wouldn't let cattle into a field with them burned off to be on the safe side.

Or maybe I need some help here to disprove my theory!

(in other words, wait for someone else to answer that may know for sure:o)

Farmer Pudsey

I remember ferns being cut and used as bedding. However cattle were tied in stalls. It dries out and is quite brittle.

tanko

I noticed a couple of my weanlings stuffing themselves with ferns this evening even though they've lots of grass. Hope they haven't got rigor mortis tomorrow.

gozunda

Cow Porter wrote: »

Well, there is a few ditches full of ferns, hoping to go in with asulox and be done with them, but are ferns poisonous? Read before they are, especially the young leaf, the field will be grazed a couple of weeks after spraying

Thanks

Bracken and ferns (ferns are actually a whole family of related plants) are different types of plant completely.

Ferns like shaded damp conditions especially woodland and old hedgerows. They are not dangerous to livestock. Ferns tend to grow in small clumps and a good indication of a healthy woodland habitat. There is no need to spray ferns especially If they are only in the ditches - I wouldn't bother tbh

Ferns:


However Bracken whilst looking somewhat similar normally forms large swathes that will cover entire hillsides etc unchecked. Bracken is considered harmful in that the spores of the plant have been linked with cancer. It is toxic to animals. It also will take over from grass reducing grazing. Burning checks the growth but leads to the regermination. Spray.

Bracken - in Autumn


Bracken - in summer

greysides

Can't help as regards the palatability once sprayed but poisoning can occur from eating hay containing bracken.

Bracken Poisoning has two main forms, acute and chronic.



Acute is a bleeding disorder caused by damage to the bone marrow which produces the platelets needed for clotting. Once what's available is used up, then with no more being made, any minor blood vessel damage (minor bleeds are normal and completely unnoticed) becomes a source of blood loss. Anaemia and weakness is caused along with blood in dung and urine.

Chronic Poisoning is based on it's carcinogenic features with alimentary and urinary system tumours.

Bright Blindness of sheep is a permanent blindness caused by poisoning.

Bracken Staggers of horses is also caused by bracken but is treatable (different toxic principle).

greysides

tanko wrote: »

I noticed a couple of my weanlings stuffing themselves with ferns this evening even though they've lots of grass. Hope they haven't got rigor mortis tomorrow.

Even the acute form of the disease will take time to develop. If those weanlings seem to have developed a taste for braken I'd remove them from the source ASAP. There is no treatment for those badly enough affected to die.

Cow Porter

Didn't know the difference but looking at the pictures it is bracken, so when would I spray, last grazing of the year or can I spray away, is the plant as bad alive or dead?

Greengrass1

greysides wrote: »

Even the acute form of the disease will take time to develop. If those weanlings seem to have developed a taste for braken I'd remove them from the source ASAP. There is no treatment for those badly enough affected to die.

The out farm we took thus yr is full of bracken. Every ditch just taken over with it. .
All the incalf heifers had taken a liking to it and would horse it into them.
Sprayed them with grazon and thought that would kill them but it hasn't.
Ye have me worried now

Cow Porter

Greengrass1 wrote: »

The out farm we took thus yr is full of bracken. Every ditch just taken over with it. .
All the incalf heifers had taken a liking to it and would horse it into them.
Sprayed them with grazon and thought that would kill them but it hasn't.
Ye have me worried now

Asulox seems to be the only one but hard to get as some issue with licencing

jt65

biggest danger to fern poisoning are bought in stock which havn't access to ferns previously i

afaik there are 2 different types of ferns , one more dangerous

dry years like the present one cause the highest risk

symptoms are dullness and weakness, pneumonia like symptoms, along with blood in the dung also blood droplets in the eyes and nose bleeds

treatment is tricky as the animal will hemorrhage further at injection sites

smallest needle available and doses of Vitamin K

we have successfully treated downer animals in the past but they do require a lot of tlc and patience

EDIT

never ever use a nose thongs or any form of rough handling

greysides

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Ye have me worried now

The only comfort I can give you is that for the amount of bracken around poisoning is not common.

gozunda

greysides wrote: »

The only comfort I can give you is that for the amount of bracken around poisoning is not common.

In my experience animals will generally avoid it where there is decent grazing. Like Ragworth it can be dangerous when dried / cut / baled. It can be also be controlled by regular cutting and removal.

To tell the difference between Normal ferns and bracken - look closely at a single branch or frond
Bracken;


bracken has many 'fingers' / leaflets coming of the stem - each looks like a miniature bracken branch in itself

bracken likes open / dry conditions

Fern:


On most ferns the individual leaflets are much more distinct and finger like

Ferns generally like damp / shady conditions

Cow Porter

looking on the web it is the new fronds and rhizomes that are the most risk.

"Green fronds are most toxic, but dead fronds and rhizomes are also toxic. Hay containing Bracken can be toxic."

from herbiguide.com.au/Descriptions/hg_Common_Bracken.htm

brackencontrol.co.uk/Bracken+Facts (setup to ban asuloux) says

"As bracken has such an effective security mechanism against attack by herbicides: application of a herbicide to the fronds may kill the active buds but it will have little effect on the dormant buds. Asulox attempts to get round this by being translocated and is therefore absorbed into the rhizomes and reduces the number of dormant buds. Asulox is different to other herbicides in that it is highly selective for bracken and has no impact or very little impact on other species. The exceptions are other fern species and measures must be taken to avoid applying Asulox to ferns if these are considered to be important."

and

"The fronds normally appear around May and will grow from rigid, straw-colored, smooth stalks. Bracken fronds are large and triangular which are divided into three main parts with each part bipinnately subdivided. These fronds will grow up to 1.5 meters long and 1 meter wide."

more confused than ever... do i spray or not

gozunda

Cow Porter wrote: »

looking on the web it is the new fronds and rhizomes that are the most risk.

"Green fronds are most toxic, but dead fronds and rhizomes are also toxic. Hay containing Bracken can be toxic."

from herbiguide.com.au/Descriptions/hg_Common_Bracken.htm

brackencontrol.co.uk/Bracken+Facts (setup to ban asuloux) says

"As bracken has such an effective security mechanism against attack by herbicides: application of a herbicide to the fronds may kill the active buds but it will have little effect on the dormant buds. Asulox attempts to get round this by being translocated and is therefore absorbed into the rhizomes and reduces the number of dormant buds. Asulox is different to other herbicides in that it is highly selective for bracken and has no impact or very little impact on other species. The exceptions are other fern species and measures must be taken to avoid applying Asulox to ferns if these are considered to be important."

and

"The fronds normally appear around May and will grow from rigid, straw-colored, smooth stalks. Bracken fronds are large and triangular which are divided into three main parts with each part bipinnately subdivided. These fronds will grow up to 1.5 meters long and 1 meter wide."

more confused than ever... do i spray or not

Post up some pictures - an overall view of the plants and a close up of the leaf.

It's fairly easy to ID once you know what it looks like tbh...

Cow Porter

gozunda wrote: »

Post up some pictures - an overall view of the plants and a close up of the leaf.

It's fairly easy to ID once you know what it looks like tbh...

ive no doubt it is bracken but i'll post some later if i pass the field today.

Base price

Interesting topic. I noticed that a sick cow that we have when allowed to roam the driveway started to eat the young regrowth of ferns along with leaves of trees and weed killed dead weeds
Many years ago I had a mare gone down after an infection due to a slipped embryo. She was down in the stable for 3 days and I could only get her to drink water with glucose/salt/breadsoda, eat a nip of hay and a few chopped up carrots. My Mam told me to get a scythe and cut some headlands and offer it to her. I did as I was told and to be sure she was standing the next day. I let her our and allowed her to browse where ever she wanted to for a few weeks until she came back around again.

Esel

OK, just getting my spelling fetish out of the way first: it is bracken, and ragwort.

I am not a farmer, but I have worked on a few farms. My only experience of it is while walking in the hills, where I soon realised that it masks the ground level really well. What I mean is that when walking through bracken, it is easy to break a leg, as you can not determine where the ground actually is. A bit like missing a step on the stairs.

I read up on it afterwards, and learned that it is poisonous to some animals.

Cow Porter

Apologies for not being a candidate for countdown due to spelling lol

How do I upload photos... Do I have to make some many posts first?

greysides

Base price wrote: »

Interesting topic. I noticed that a sick cow that we have when allowed to roam the driveway started to eat the young regrowth of ferns along with leaves of trees and weed killed dead weeds

An oral tonic mightn't go astray. Put on nuts and let her get it that way.

gozunda

Cow Porter wrote: »

Apologies for not being a candidate for countdown due to spelling lol

How do I upload photos... Do I have to make some many posts first?

You need to have over 50 posts and be signed up for at least 10 days afaik.

If you are using your phone to take the photo it's fairly straightforward - take photo then start new post in thread and click on 'attach files' - then select choose existing which should bring you to photos already taken on your phone - select photo and click on 'attach files' then post.

Wigster

Sorry for re-opening old thread but i reseeded cuple acres of ground on side of hill last year. Ground hadnt been fed in years. Was going to let cattle in last autumn but was afraid as it had a lot of yound ferns/bracken in clusters. Walked it today and all dead from winter and grass coming on. Would it be ok to feed or are they still poisonous?

Lady Haywire

Should be fine I'd say, it's only really tasty to them when it's young as it seems to be more palatable then. Saying that however, now is the time that ferns will begin growing again so keep a close eye on the patches it covered.

White Clover

Drive on with the fert now. It will help the grass get ahead of them and smother them out.