Clover rich lawn

[Gorsty]

Hi folks

My 3 x young Barnevelders were out on grass with their mum but our lawn is very rich in clover. I know too much can cause digestive problems in horses and other animals - do I need to limit their access to clover - if they ever venture out, of course!

[Snadger]

Farmers add clover to there ryegrass mix when seeding pastureland so I would have thought it should be fine. Because it's a legume it also adds Nitro to the soil as the roots fixate it.
Chickens seem to know whats good and bad for them and if it's not to there taste they'll leave it alone anyway.
Ragwort is the one to look out for though as it is lethal!

Unless some other wise grape knows different of course!

[HayleyB]

Clover has gone bonkers this year, I have one paddock totally covered in the stuff, horses seem fine though.

I wouldn't be concerned with chooks though - they eat what they like and leave what they don't, unfortunately my lot don't touch docks for some reason and guess what we have an abundance of.....

[Gorsty]

Clover lawn

Ragwort is the one to look out for though as it is lethal!

Now you've worried me - I know there is ragwort out there. Have been waiting for it to grow a bit so I can pull it up. I know ponies won't touch it whilst its growing but will do so when it's dry and has got into hay. Do you think my chicks will try it in the green????

I'm a werit-bum!

[MaureenHall]

I've got some ragwort on my lawn (well grassy bit anyway) and I have to make sure I go and pull up as much as I can before using the mower (it's the front garden) because I chuck the mowings into the runs. I think I'd have a go at digging it out if it was an area where the chooks wander around and scratch

[Glutton4...]

I was told Clover is bad for Chooks. When mine were on the lawn, I worried a bit, but then noticed they ate the grass and left the Clover. Now they've been moved, there's a big dark green patch where the Clover is growing well and the grass hasn't yet recovered!

[HayleyB]

Ragwort is a swear word here, ours is even roundup proof. If you pull wear gloves the toxins travel through skin, it kills by slow irrepairable liver damage.

[Hilary B]

Ragwort is a swear word here, ours is even roundup proof. If you pull wear gloves the toxins travel through skin, it kills by slow irrepairable liver damage.

And I have seen ornamental 'cousins' in garden centres.......

When I had to get rid of some I used a 'weed wick'. Because the stuff is applied accurately to only the plants you want it on, and no waste, you use a very strong mixture (of Roundup) the liquid was supposed to be diluted about 1 to 50, or some such. In the wick it was used 1 to 2. That shifted it, and the local variety was notoriously difficult to kill any other way.

[frias]

Ragwort grows in the New Forest very close to here. Volunteers help to get rid of it because of the ponies grazing in the Forest. It's very poisonous to most animals except old sheep apparently. If I have a very stubborn weed I put salt on the roots. Of course that's not good for the chooks either. I've not noticed whether the chooks leave clover alone but one of mine ate an oxalis this morning and I wouldn't think that would be very good for her.

[Hilary B]

Ragwort grows in the New Forest very close to here. Volunteers help to get rid of it because of the ponies grazing in the Forest. It's very poisonous to most animals except old sheep apparently. If I have a very stubborn weed I put salt on the roots. Of course that's not good for the chooks either. I've not noticed whether the chooks leave clover alone but one of mine ate an oxalis this morning and I wouldn't think that would be very good for her.

The big problem with ragwort in such places as New Forest is that you can't use weedkillers, because the dying plants actually taste good to grazing beasts, so they eat more of it.
The idea that it doesn't harm sheep is actually wrong, but it is a very slow poison, so old sheep may well die of old age before the ragwort poisoning take effect. Comparable to the way that heart disease was less of a problem for people 2 centuries ago, because most people died before they got old enough to suffer from heart disease.

[frias]

I did say apparently 'cos that's what it said in the papers and on website about the forest.

[Hilary B]

I did say apparently 'cos that's what it said in the papers and on website about the forest.

It's very widely believed, it'st just that I happen to know (from experience and being told by neighbours who had a lot MORE experience) that it isn't true.

[Gorsty]

Ragwort

Hi folks

Am on holiday this week - hadn't made any plans other than going to Gardeners World Live at the NEC. Perhaps as well cos after looking closely at my so called "lawn" - there are masses of baby ragwort plants.
Have been out there digging them out this morning in between showers. It's a big job so will keep me out of mischief for some days- weeks - months!!!?? maybe years!!

Had to gently persuade my "shy chicks" to go outside this morning - even a trail of corn wouldn't entice them outside! Now they are out in the run they are scratting around and having a good time being watched over by my Siamese cat Billy. Billy has been a "house cat" all his life but when we moved here recently he was allowed to go outside - he's loving it too but sadly the "killer" instinct has become active!! He now has a collar & bell and am contemplating putting bells around his ankles as well - my other half says we could possibly then enter him on Britains Got Talent as the worlds first Siamese Morris Dancer

Bye for now