Pull that ragwort out?

The RSPCA is reminding horse and livestock owners of the dangers of ragwort - I would have thought most don't need reminding but apparently the RSPCA regularly gets reports of horses in fields where it is growing - indeed it always surprises me how many people still don't know about this ‘yellow peril’.

Photo: Wardens out yesterday at Haresfield Beacon pulling up ragwort and below ragwort.

This tall yellow-flowering perennial weed causes irreversible damage to the liver, resulting in an extremely painful death for horses and livestock. Animals may lose weight and condition, suffer depression, loss of appetite, constipation, sunburn and jaundice. In many cases, it can be fatal. Eating this highly toxic weed now can be dangerous but even towards the end of summer as pastures die out it is often mistakenly dried in hay where it is still dangerous.

Ragwort needs to be dealt with every year so pulling it up is the only effective way of preventing animals becoming ill or dying. Ideally the plant should not be allowed to seed, as each plant can produce thousands of seeds.

Pull it up now anywhere near animals graze - but some conservationists argue not everywhere? This plant is the only food of the Cinnabar moth - for more on that see here:
http://www.ragwort-uk.com/plague_cause.html