Author Topic: Braken..help! (Read 8615 times)

fiestyredhead331 · « **Reply #15 on:** December 31, 2014, 12:44:53 pm »

pigs

we have loads of the damn stuff, not handy when you have goats but doesnt bother the sheep at all. We put pigs on our worst areas and moved them around. there is still a bit of bracken coming through but nowhere near as much as was there originally!

oh and we got the eat the pigs...win win

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #16 on:** December 31, 2014, 02:06:08 pm »

Quote from: fiestyredhead331 on December 31, 2014, 12:44:53 pm

pigs

we have loads of the damn stuff, not handy when you have goats but doesnt bother the sheep at all. We put pigs on our worst areas and moved them around. there is still a bit of bracken coming through but nowhere near as much as was there originally!

oh and we got the eat the pigs...win win

Here is a question, once the animal has been fattened on the bracken, and is slaughtered, is the meat safe to eat?
I was told that bracken causes cancer, does it apply to the meat of that animal or not?

fiestyredhead331 · « **Reply #17 on:** December 31, 2014, 03:53:46 pm »

Most things these days will give you cancer supposedly

Various pieces of research seems to have been done on the subject but no clear advice as far as I can see?
But then I smoke, drink alcohol, drink raw milk, eat butter and red meat oh and drive a car so its just one more thing to add to the list if its proved right

mab · « **Reply #18 on:** December 31, 2014, 06:20:48 pm »

Quote from: waterbuffalofarmer on December 31, 2014, 02:06:08 pm

Quote from: fiestyredhead331 on December 31, 2014, 12:44:53 pm
pigs

we have loads of the damn stuff, not handy when you have goats but doesnt bother the sheep at all. We put pigs on our worst areas and moved them around. there is still a bit of bracken coming through but nowhere near as much as was there originally!

oh and we got the eat the pigs...win win
Here is a question, once the animal has been fattened on the bracken, and is slaughtered, is the meat safe to eat?
I was told that bracken causes cancer, does it apply to the meat of that animal or not?

As I'm planning on using pigs too, I've been looking into this a bit: I did find one article that recommended the pigs be fed a bracken-free diet for at least 15days before slaughter to remove any of the carcinogen from the pigs system (can't find the reference now, sorry), but the truth is there's not really been any research into whether the meat is contaminated or not (as far as I know).

As a general rule though (at the risk of stating the obvious) the pigs should have access to feed other than bracken anyway or they will become ill. It's not clear if the bracken-clearing effect of pigs is from them eating the stuff or more their rooting exposing the rhizomes to frost, etc.

cloddopper · « **Reply #19 on:** December 31, 2014, 08:30:40 pm »

The part link I gave earlier on in the thread suggests it is from the pigs eating the rhizomes thus stopping further growth .
Though their rooting & foot work will also prevent the spores from becoming viable plants.

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #20 on:** January 01, 2015, 11:40:07 am »

I have heard that crushing the tops of the bracken, as mentioned earlier, does work, however it has to be done 3 times for 2 years, whether its three times a year am not sure, after that they'll be weakened then you can plow it.

landroverroy · « **Reply #21 on:** January 01, 2015, 02:22:49 pm »

If you're planning on ploughing, and therefore reseeding, you might as well spray with glyphosate in your first year and kill it straight off without having to mess about with it for a few years and ploughing it in the end anyway.

rockstar · « **Reply #22 on:** January 04, 2015, 12:05:55 pm »

I took over 2 acre field 3 years ago,third of the ground had strong healthy bracken on it,so i have strimmed trod and pulled the bracken and at the end of last summer it had gone very weak and patchy,so fingers crossed i wont see much this year.But i now have reeds growing in the 30m x 10m plot i keep pigs in every other year,do you know how to get rid of this?