As death in sheep from ragwort may be delayed for several months the cause may be overlooked. The practice of grazing sheep on rosette stage ragwort to keep clear pastures is not to be recommended. The toxic effects are mainly in the liver and digestive tract of the recipient. Symptoms of poisoning can appear quickly or be delayed for weeks or months. Similarly, death can be within days or with a delay of several weeks following declining stages of health.
Early signs are loss of appetite and condition with constipation.
When these signs appear death can follow within hours. The effects of ragwort are cumulative. Small intakes over long periods of time have the same effect as a large intake on a single occasion. There is no specific treatment, the only prevention is in controlling the weed in the pasture and removing it from hay before feeding, because ragwort is more palatable following cutting and drying. The plant will not survive tillaging.