topping ragworth

marknjb

i would like to know how long should i give before i let cattle back into a field that was topped with ragwort in it the fields are rushy so u would not see them all to gather up
thanks marknjb

bogman_bass

Is there much in it? If there is plaenty of grass I find that cattle dont bother with it. Some may disagree

Bizzum

I never pick up the ragworth after topping. We would'nt have huge amounts but I top away, particularly this time of the year before they mature.

bbam

I asked the vet a few years ago and she said that poisoning usually happens in two instances..
1. Very heavily infested fields topped and left, cattle easily find plenty of them.
2. people gather them up into a heap in the corner of a field to rot and the cattle get at them there and eat a feed of them..

She said that light infestations can be topped and cattle will be OK... I presume if there is a good covering of grass they would be even less likely to eat them...

Anything has to be better than pulling them

whelan1

bbam wrote: »

I asked the vet a few years ago and she said that poisoning usually happens in two instances..
1. Very heavily infested fields topped and left, cattle easily find plenty of them.
2. people gather them up into a heap in the corner of a field to rot and the cattle get at them there and eat a feed of them..

She said that light infestations can be topped and cattle will be OK... I presume if there is a good covering of grass they would be even less likely to eat them...

Anything has to be better than pulling them

topping doesnt get rid of them though... pulling or spraying is the only way.... when the ragworth are dying/dead they are very palatable , if there's only a few theres not a problem but heavy infestation could prove fatal:D as i now know

pakalasa

I find it's better to let the plant flower up. That way it's easier to pull them up. Usually around August or so. Very hard to pull them at this time of year as they break up. I'd worry that of you spray them, the cattle would still eat them, as they become more palatible.
I've always pulled them and I have little if any now.

I've never seen cattle eat growing ragwort only dead ones.

whelan1

pakalasa wrote: »

I find it's better to let the plant flower up. That way it's easier to pull them up. Usually around August or so. Very hard to pull them at this time of year as they break up. I'd worry that of you spray them, the cattle would still eat them, as they become more palatible.
I've always pulled them and I have little if any now.

I've never seen cattle eat growing ragwort only dead ones.

i cant walk by a ragworth without pulling it:rolleyes: thats why sometimes it takes me ages to count the cattle:o only time to spray them is march or october/november..... absolutely hate when the roots dont come up when you pull then

bbam

whelan1 wrote: »

absolutely hate when the roots dont come up when you pull then

It works best when the ground is damp... or wet as is more usually the case round these parts..:rolleyes:

convert

As whelan1 mentioned, it's when it's dead that ragworth is the most palatable, and therefore dangerous.

Was there much in the field you topped? If there was quite a bit, I'd look to go (or get someone) to pick up as much as possible before letting the cattle out. That way the risk is minimised. Again, as was posted before, it's best to pull them if at all possible (leaving the pulled bits out of the field somewhere the cattle can't reach).

marknjb

convert wrote: »

As whelan1 mentioned, it's when it's dead that ragworth is the most palatable, and therefore dangerous.

Was there much in the field you topped? If there was quite a bit, I'd look to go (or get someone) to pick up as much as possible before letting the cattle out. That way the risk is minimised. Again, as was posted before, it's best to pull them if at all possible (leaving the pulled bits out of the field somewhere the cattle can't reach).

not an awfull lot but its in amoungst grassey rushes . i thought someone might know how long after their cut the poision goes out of them

whelan1

marknjb wrote: »

not an awfull lot but its in amoungst grassey rushes . i thought someone might know how long after their cut the poision goes out of them

imo never

mf690

Has anyone ever seen or used a ragwort fork. Supposed to make pulling ragwort very easy. The only way to get rid of ragwort is to pull it .

pakalasa

mf690 wrote: »

Has anyone ever seen or used a ragwort fork. Supposed to make pulling ragwort very easy. The only way to get rid of ragwort is to pull it .

http://www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk/paddock-grass-seed-paddock-accessories/pid16016/cid1301/ragwort-fork.asp?source=webgains&utm_source=webgains&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=webgains_aff_id25012

mf690

Thanks for 24 quid or so will give it a try small money to save the back.

Don Juan DeMagoo

Horrible job but picking them is the only way. I know a muppet who topped whole fields of it and let in the animals soon thereafter, well you can guess the rest.
If you top them the sugar content goes up so making them easier for the animals to eat them whereas if you just leave them stand the animals won't eat them.
First year of picking them is a pain but the next year is much easier as you are just picking the stragglers.

After picking them, employ good stock rotation and that will keep them at bay. Try picking them before the start to seed and burn them soon after. Spaying is a waste of your money imho.

Hold them as close as you can to the roots and pull. If you don't get the roots out they come back stronger the subsequent year.

Hope this helps.

Ah memories as a kid

Bizzum

mf690 wrote: »

Has anyone ever seen or used a ragwort fork. Supposed to make pulling ragwort very easy. The only way to get rid of ragwort is to pull it .

There is an ancient one at home somewhere. It differs from the one in the link previous, in having only 2 tines, not unlike those on a nailbar only longer, and a heel to lever up the plant.
I dunno were they ever that popular. Most people just pull them before they go to seed. The wetter the ground the better for pulling them.

Anyone with sheep have a problem with them?

Tora Bora

Don Juan DeMagoo wrote: »

Horrible job but picking them is the only way. I know a muppet who topped whole fields of it and let in the animals soon thereafter, well you can guess the rest.
If you top them the sugar content goes up so making them easier for the animals to eat them whereas if you just leave them stand the animals won't eat them.
First year of picking them is a pain but the next year is much easier as you are just picking the stragglers.

After picking them, employ good stock rotation and that will keep them at bay. Try picking them before the start to seed and burn them soon after. Spaying is a waste of your money imho.

Hold them as close as you can to the roots and pull. If you don't get the roots out they come back stronger the subsequent year.

Hope this helps.

Ah memories as a kid

You are dead right. Few of my fields over past three years have been badly infected with the damn thing. I have pulled them with vengance three years in a row. I just make a big pile of them in the yard. Cover with plastic, to prevent any seeds gettin blown around. They eventually rot down to muck.

Looks like I have them 90% beaten. Very few showing this year.

djmc

For a heavy infestation on a lot of ground area and I hadnt time to pull
I would graze weed lick with roundup top 2 or 3 weeks later and keep cattle out for month

whelan1

i spent an hour this morning pulling them:rolleyes: not as many around as other years... hate hate hate ragworth:mad:

Upstream

Remember to wear gloves when pulling ragworth, as the plants are also poisonous to humans and the toxins can enter the bloodstream through the skin.:eek:

whelan1

Upstream wrote: »

Remember to wear gloves when pulling ragworth, as the plants are also poisonous to humans and the toxins can enter the bloodstream through the skin.:eek:

yup... who ever invented ragworth should be shot:D

Tackleberrywho

Don Juan DeMagoo wrote: »

Horrible job but picking them is the only way. I know a muppet who topped whole fields of it and let in the animals soon thereafter, well you can guess the rest.
If you top them the sugar content goes up so making them easier for the animals to eat them whereas if you just leave them stand the animals won't eat them.
First year of picking them is a pain but the next year is much easier as you are just picking the stragglers.

After picking them, employ good stock rotation and that will keep them at bay. Try picking them before the start to seed and burn them soon after. Spaying is a waste of your money imho.

Hold them as close as you can to the roots and pull. If you don't get the roots out they come back stronger the subsequent year.

Hope this helps.

Ah memories as a kid

I was always taught the same as a kid.
We have very little ragworth.
I find slurry is the worst spreader of weeds.

I find that Cow Parsley is the biggest problem these days, especially after 2-3 bad summers

Grid.

Be very careful with ragwort , I used a brushcutter on them one time... not realising how dangeropus the sap is.....within a day my arms were cover in blisters which took a long long time to heal.

Tackleberrywho

Gridlock wrote: »

Be very careful with ragwort , I used a brushcutter on them one time... not realising how dangeropus the sap is.....within a day my arms were cover in blisters which took a long long time to heal.

Do you not mean cow parsley/hogweed rather than ragworth?

Big_Evil

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

Do you not mean cow parsley/hogweed rather than ragworth?

Not so sure about cow parsley - I believe some people can have an allergic reaction.

But, the sap in ragworth is extremly toxic - can do all sorts of damage to certain vital organs in both man and beast.

Only way is to pull and burn.

Also, talk to your neighbours, we had one in particular who used never use a topper - feckin' stuff spread like a disease into our land bounding his...

Tackleberrywho

Big_Evil wrote: »

Not so sure about cow parsley - I believe some people can have an allergic reaction.

But, the sap in ragworth is extremly toxic - can do all sorts of damage to certain vital organs in both man and beast.

Only way is to pull and burn.

Also, talk to your neighbours, we had one in particular who used never use a topper - feckin' stuff spread like a disease into our land bounding his...

Cow Parsley Sap cause Pyro Dermatitis (sap is caustic an activated by UV Light)
It is the biggest cause of Human burns from strimmers.
Most strimming is done on sunny days so it's a winning formula.

We pulled all ragwort back in the 80's. and since only wintering beef cattle the pasture is meadow in summer, Ragworth thrives in grazing pasture.