Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)
Ragwort is native to the British Isles and is a specified weed under The Weed Act 1959. It contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids which are poisonous to horses, ponies, sheep, cattle, deer and also wild animals such as hares. It is one of the most frequent causes of plant poisoning in livestock in Britain. Young animals are more at risk than mature animals.
Ragwort acts as a cumulative poison, eventually destroying the liver. A small intake of ragwort over a long period can be just as damaging as a large amount on a single occasion.
Little can be done to save an animal once the clinical signs appear. The toxins in ragwort are not destroyed by cutting, pulling, digging up spraying or drying.
In the Rosette Stage
As the plants wilt and dry, the bitter taste is lost and it becomes more palatable which makes it far more dangerous when it is dried in hay or haylage etc. Each plant can produce up to 150,000 seeds with a 70% germination rate and the seeds can lie dormant in the soil for up to 20 years.
Symptoms of ragwort poisoning include weight loss and condition, jaundice, photosensitive dermatitis, behavioural abnormalities, staggering gait, impaired vision, abdominal pain and convulsions. As the liver can maintain its functional until two-thirds has been destroyed, symptoms may not be noticed until 75% of the liver has suffered damage. By the time liver failure is evident it is not
usually possible to save the animal.
In the Flowering Stage
There are several ways to manage ragwort starting at this time of year when the plants are in the rosette stage. There are several good forks designed especially to dig out and twist the rosettes and roots from the soil, these are called the Lazy Dog Tool and Rag Fork. This method needs to be carried out whilst the plants are young. Also at this time of year spot treatment with a knapsack sprayer using a chemical such as MCPA or 2,4D or ragtime.
Later in summer when the plant becomes more woody and has a yellow flower it can be pulled by hand but care must be taken to get the whole plant out with the root and make sure not to leave any piece of it behind.
In the Seeding Stage
As this is a very toxic plant PROTECTIVE CLOTHING MUST BE WORN BY ANYONE HANDLING RAGWORT(i.e. GLOVES,LONG TROUSERS, A LONG SLEEVED TOP AND A FACE MASK). Ragwort has been known to cause liver damage in people who have handled ragwort and it can be absorbed through the skin.
Finally be very careful how and where you dispose of the plants and regularly check paddocks grazed by horses and ponies for any sign of this dangerous weed.
By Lady Vestey of Kentchurch Stud
June 8, 2007
Kentchurch Stud