Ragwort in hay

[Sarah]

hello!

To my horror yesterday morning I found lots of ragwort in Tango's hay. I have contacted my local Trading Standards office and they are very concerned about it and will come and take my hay away to examine it.

Just so you know dried ragwort looks like this - reddy/brown ridged stem, curled up leaves that you can uncurl into a rough jaggedy shape.

Do check your hay thoroughly, just in case and if you do find any ragwort in it, call your local Trading Standards office (phone number in Yello Pages under government bodies).

bye!

[Hevz2001]

Oh my god! thats shocking! im speechless! all i can say, is get Tango checked by a vet, just in case. i dont want to shock u, and i know its not my place, but i heard that it may be months b4 the effects of ragwort is noticed, by which time its normally too late.
also, change the place where u got ** hay from, although u probably have already.
er bye!
Heather

[KarlR]

I read somewhere recently that most hay used in the UK has some level of ragwort in it, although I guess that it's normally only trace amounts otherwise all our horses would be ill. Even though we seem to get very good quality hay at our yard I always fluff it out first to make sure there's nothing obviously wrong with it. Very scary though.

I don't suspect that hayledge would be much better either since it's the same thing, just harvested differently, although I susepect that the expensive commercial stuff should be safer.

[lamprellsarah]

i don't use haylage but other people on our yard do, and if ragwort is in it is certainly not visible at all, it all looks the same. At least you can see in it hay, although it thats bad thats in there. I am glad our yard does our own hay, we can always see whats growing in the field that is used for the hay, and if it is seen we dig it up.

[fionahogg]

I feed Marksway Horsehage. I guess with it being such a big haylage supplier, it would be very strict on quality control checks for ragwort etc. But I would think that haylage locally made would have just as much chance as having ragwort in it as hay does.

Yes, always check hay for poisonous plants before you feed.

Fiona.

[Sarah]

hello!

Trading Standards FINALLY got back to me today. They are sure the weed is ragwort and have sent my hay off to Berkshire College of Agriculture for a proper verdict. Trading Standards have said that if it is ragwort they are going to come down on the guy who sold it to me 'like a ton of bricks' which is good news.

Needless to say i have changed my hay supplier and now have lovely hay for Tango that is weed free.

bye!

[Wally]

This is something that worries us. We make our own silage and hay form parks which have been lovingly treated for ragwort. It is a nightmare when we have to buy in as we know not every one takes so much care over fodder.

[KarlR]

That's excellent news Sarah. Even though it has taken time, it's nice to hear that they take problems like this so seriously.

Well done to you too, for pursuing it. It's easy to just change supplier and forget about the old one, but if more people actually reported this sort of thing hay would become much safer for all of us.

[Hevz2001]

Glad to hear that trading standards are taking this seriously, well done for spotting the ragwort, hope whoever sold you the hay is sorry! (they should get sued!)
anyway, bye
Heather:cool: