Author Topic: Ruined hay field (Read 8363 times)

tommytink · « **on:** June 25, 2019, 09:36:26 am »

So I have a 1.5 acre field that I was planning to use for hay, but despite best efforts I can’t find anyone that’s willing to cut/ted/small bale it.
It’s got pretty long now and it’s starting to flatten. What should I do with it now? Someone suggested letting it go over and then get sheep to graze it (as the bottom of the grass will be accessible); someone else says it’ll wreck the field if left like that.
I’m not happy about it. It’s the only field that is tractor accessible so from an economical view it wasn’t worth buying a tractor and attachments to do it myself. I think I had rose-tinted thoughts when I moved here that I’d find at least one person in the area that would be willing to lend a hand, and it wasn’t as if I was looking for it to be done for free.
Anyway, any suggestions welcome, although I can foresee a long day strimming...

egghead · « **Reply #1 on:** June 25, 2019, 11:03:25 am »

where are you ?

tommytink · « **Reply #2 on:** June 25, 2019, 11:33:18 am »

Near Whitland in Carmarthenshire.
Have asked surrounding farmers and for ideas of who might be able to if they can’t. Just no one interested.
Can’t come from too far away as they have to bring the tractor so these companies that advertise small baling are useless too unless they’re on your doorstep.

shep53 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 25, 2019, 01:15:54 pm »

If you resort to strimming what are you going to with the cut grass as this will really damage the grass if left ? What about asking local farmers if they want to graze some young calves or a couple of cows as they would tear and eat very long grass better than sheep but even 20 - 30 sheep would get it down , all would be short term just until the grass was gone

chrismahon · « **Reply #4 on:** June 25, 2019, 02:06:25 pm »

People here do an annual field cut with a 'tondeuse débroussailleuse' which is a 3 wheeled self-propelled rotary mower. With the first height cut it takes 1m down to 50cm and the second cut is down to 10cm. Width of cut is 52cm and prices start at €600, so a lot cheaper than a tractor. No idea what the English name is for one but it translated literally as a 'strimmer mower' although it has a steel blade like a rotary mower. Don't know if you can buy them up there though? 6000m2 isn't too much- they drive at 2.3km/hr so some easy maths will tell you how long it will take.

I use a scythe for 4000m2, but that's partially because we need the hay to use for weed-killing large areas.

tommytink · « **Reply #5 on:** June 26, 2019, 09:08:14 am »

The rotary mower sounds good, but not seen one around here yet! Someone suggested manually doing it with a scythe but not sure how long that would take. Plus then we’d have to turn it (we thought once a day but someone else said three??) and find a way to bale it.
We thought about the cow thing. Not sure the sheep would take it out as they like the new shoots and not the old tough stuff.

bj_cardiff · « **Reply #6 on:** June 26, 2019, 09:39:24 am »

Its a shame but I've found exactly the same here in Carmarthenshire. When the weather is good enough to make hay/haylage all the contractors are working flat out. They can't afford to turn down 100 acres to do a small field. The only way to do it is if you have a neighbour that does his own and he's happy to do yours at the same time.

I'd ask around my neighbours saying you have free grazing for a month or so and get horses to eat it down, or a neighbour with cattle might do it?

harmony · « **Reply #7 on:** June 26, 2019, 04:03:54 pm »

Cattle best bet for long grass. Plenty of sheep would do it eventually has the potential of causing scald working through the long stuff. Horses not tidy graziers.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #8 on:** June 26, 2019, 05:20:42 pm »

Quote from: harmony on June 26, 2019, 04:03:54 pm

Cattle best bet for long grass. Plenty of sheep would do it eventually has the potential of causing scald working through the long stuff. Horses not tidy graziers.

Depends on the cattle and how long / rough it is. Our Jersey and her crossbred offspring turn their noses up at long stemmy stuff, and we have to send in the Fells, who will pretty much crop anything down neatly

harmony · « **Reply #9 on:** June 26, 2019, 06:02:19 pm »

Quote from: SallyintNorth on June 26, 2019, 05:20:42 pm

Quote from: harmony on June 26, 2019, 04:03:54 pm
Cattle best bet for long grass. Plenty of sheep would do it eventually has the potential of causing scald working through the long stuff. Horses not tidy graziers.

Depends on the cattle and how long / rough it is. Our Jersey and her crossbred offspring turn their noses up at long stemmy stuff, and we have to send in the Fells, who will pretty much crop anything down neatly

I was assuming that it wasn't rough pasture as it was going to be made into hay. Most horses are selective and they leave dunging areas which they don't touch. Although, if you leave anything anywhere for long enough they'll put their noses down instead of up.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #10 on:** June 26, 2019, 08:21:45 pm »

Aye, we pick up our ponies’ poo, or they’d soon run out of grazing.

And I tried the “they’ll eat it when they’re hungry enough” approach with the cattle with a particularly overgrown area last year, and they were happy to take only the barest starvation rations rather than eat it down properly. Sigh. So the Fells went in and sorted it out for us

.

tommytink · « **Reply #11 on:** June 26, 2019, 09:28:40 pm »

No it’s not rough, it’s a field that the previous owners used for hay so in quite good condition.
I think we’re just unlucky about not finding anyone willing to help. Understand 1.5 acres vs 100 etc but we have asked companies advertising (who are invariably too far away), farmers (who contract out) and smaller outfits (who have the equipment but aren’t keen on helping). I guess I think if it was me and I had the kit I’d try and lend a hand but not everyone thinks the same way.
I do know a farmer with a dairy herd so could ask them if they want to stick a couple of calves on there. I have a CPH but not got cows on my APHA list so guess I would need to add this first. I infer that there’s more to cows than sheep etc so not keen on getting my own just yet!
Because this is Wales we were aiming for haylage and wanted small bale as a big one would ruin before we could use it all. Plus we don’t have equipment to move them. If it was hay this might be different as could just take what we need but still wouldn’t be able to maneuver them. Got a quad but never heard of a small baler for one. How would that work as there’s no PTO on a quad??

landroverroy · « **Reply #12 on:** June 26, 2019, 09:41:33 pm »

You'll be lucky to get someone to make hay for you on such a small field. The weather is that uncertain at the moment that they'll have their time cut out making hay on more economic fields. As mentioned, I would ask a local farmer if they've anything to put on it. (Horses would be bottom of my list .) And afterwards you could ask him to top it to tidy it up.

I've got 2 fields shut off for hay - only 3 acres each. But I'm not bothering now. I'm going to put some cattle on, then sheep and buy hay in later if and when I need it. With present weather forecast it'll be a few weeks before I can make hay, so would rather rotate everything around so they have plenty of grass to eat and keep condition/grow fat; rather than let them go short while I wait for the hay fields to regrow - which could be into August/September at this rate.

tommytink · « **Reply #13 on:** June 27, 2019, 08:27:19 am »

Yeah I think I knew it might be a problem finding someone. A couple had time to talk a lot and air their knowledge but not interested in helping - just disappointed.
We are going to ask a farmer nearby if he can put a couple of cows on it. We have a topper so can finish it off after.
This year was going to be an experiment, keeping the field and making hay vs grazing it, and I guess we know the answer now!
We have storage so was looking at buying off the field hay. Not sure how much cheaper this is, or whether there are any risks? Not sure how many bales we’d even need!