Grazing field after topping? and pasture management

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Grazing field after topping? and pasture management

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Louisdog

Joined: 22 Mar 2005
Posts: 716
Location: South Wales

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 05 11:09 am Post subject: Grazing field after topping? and pasture management

We are about to get out extremely overgrown field topped, and move our sheep onto it. Should we wait a few days after it's topped, before we move the sheep on, so that the cuttings wither a bit? Or is it OK to move them on immediately?

Does anyone know any good books on pasture management? Our grass goes mad in the summer and we cannot keep on top of it, we also seem to get a bloom of docks as well as some nettles and thistles, which we have been strimming or digging out.

Thanks for any advice you can offer!

Cheers
Alex

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 05 11:26 am Post subject:
I don't know, but it's probably worth your while to PM or email Rob R or Alison who almost certainly will.

moogie

Joined: 02 Feb 2005
Posts: 525
Location: Near Bridgend

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 05 11:39 am Post subject:

The trouble with some species of dock is that it is little grazed as it contains something which is a bit toxic to animals (usually cows its has to be said). You are unlikely to get rid of it by digging out out as it regenerates both vegetatively and by a rather persistant seedbank, so if you've got it you are unlikely to be able to easily get rid of it.

Thistles are not going to be eaten because they are so prickly, would you fancy eating a thistle?! But the good news is that it is only sown by windblown seed so pull them up and they shouldn't come back too readily if you get them all.

If your grass is a bit out of hand have you tried mowing it rather than just relying on the sheep?

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 05 11:39 am Post subject:
Do you know if there is any ragwort on the field? From what little I know many animals will avoid it while it's growing but may eat it if it's been cut and made into hay, probably because they don't recognise it. If you have any it may be worth pulling it up first or collecting it when cut. Gloves may be required.

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 05 11:53 am Post subject:
Around here they seem to leave the fields to rest for a few weeks before moving any animals on after taking a cut of hay. It makes sense, as the grass does need a short while to come back. In our field, we seem to be winning the battle against the thistles - if you cut them off often enough, they seem to give up quite easily. Docks, on the other hand, are a whole different ballgame...

Louisdog

Joined: 22 Mar 2005
Posts: 716
Location: South Wales

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 05 12:16 pm Post subject:

Hi again

Thanks for your replies.

We did have two ragwort plants but we pulled them.

We are lucky in that the sheep do graze some of the docks and thistles, but they are so numerous that they don't eat them all. Cutting them does seem to have some effet especially with thistles, and with the docks if we cut before they seed, it stops them spreading quite as much.

I was wondering if spraying or spot weedkillering would be good, but I don't like the thought of using chemicals, and am not sure what to use, how safe it would be for the sheep or when they could go back in.

I think we are going to have to start topping it several times a year, in the summer months, as the sheep just can't keep up with the summer growth. Another option would be more sheep, but then I think we'd run out of grass in the winter.

I am still not sure whether to move the sheep straight after topping. I am not so worried about the grass, as it needs checking anyway, but I am wondering if it would be bad for the sheep. I seem to remember something about it being dangerous to feed lawn clippings to sheep, and I guess turning them onto a freshly-topped field amounts to the same thing.

Cheers
Alex

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Fri Jul 15, 05 12:22 pm Post subject:

Unfortunately, in my experience with the horses' paddocks, the only way to get rid of thistles and docks is through chemical means I'm afraid. They grow faster than you can pull'em up - topping the thistles gives the grass a fighting chance but they always grow back in the summer you've only got to close your eyes for a minute and they've shot up and set seed!

We used to use glyphosate and then re-seed, but of course it meant loss of grazing for a few weeks. We also tried Grazon, which kills the weeds but not the grass, and you can graze a fortnight later, but it's blimmin' expensive.

ruby
Guest

Posted: Sat Jul 16, 05 8:43 am Post subject:

My horse eats thistles. she stands and thoughtfully munches - I imagine it must be like having an very hot hot curry

I would also be wary about adding any more sheep. We overgrazed our fields a couple of years ago with too many sheep and horses and despite leaving them ungrazed a lot since they are still very thin. I'm hoping they will recover without fertiliser as two of the horses are a bit liminiticky (if thats a word but you know what I mean)

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