Advice for managing paddocks - best equipment for quad?

TotalMadgeness

TotalMadgeness

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Hi

We have six small (1 - 2 acre) paddocks and want to know what is the best tool that you can use with a quad to keep control of the grass please... What do you guys use? Our land isn't very flat and there's a few trees dotted about and an old stone wall or two to navigate around. Last year we used a 2 wheel tractor with a scythe attachment to deal with rushes in the paddocks then used the tractor's mower attachment to top the paddocks but it took forever and was back breaking work. We will be getting sheep in for a couple of the paddocks this year but we will need to keep the others down as they're not suitable for sheep. My two horses are both restricted to strip grazing in one of the paddocks during the summer due to their tendency to put on weight which is why we need a suitable tool for the paddocks where we can't have sheep.

All advice greatly appreciated!
 
We have a quad and manage 13 acres of land divided into 1 field of 6 acres and 2 each of 3/4 acres.The 6 acres is grazed december January and March then rested to cut a crop of hay (done by our neighbouring farmer). We use the quad to move hay and straw to the pole barn with a small trailer .We have a ballast roller a chain harrow and a field topper.
Muck spreading is done by our neighbouring farmer as well as heavy harrowing at the end of the winter.
Our quad is the largest Honda (big red)and is a 4 wheel drive.you really need a 4 wheel drive we find for use during the winter.We have had the quad for around 30 years and it is serviced annually .The topper is the same age and again serviced at the end of the summer.There isn't a PTO on most quads so toppers need to be self driven.
 
TotalMadgeness said:
Hi horselib

What make/model of field topper do you use with your quad please?
Click to expand...

logic AT-110 Rotary Topper (an older version of this one) .We use it to top the fields each time they are rested and also to mow all the tracks around the farm .They are expensive but ours is 30 years old and still going strong.
 
I use a logic flail mower which I tow behind the quad to do about 15 acres of flat fields. I also have a Logic weed wiper (can't use a sprayer as we have Koi in the ponds). For rolling and harrowing I get a local contractor in.
 
I use an AT on our hilly land.

Harrow. Roller. Bush hog (topper? ) - it is motorized but we pull it with the ATV.
Trailer, small and a big 16' one.
We also have a snow plough (yay! notice, I wrote plough, not plow! ) in the UK you wouldn't have much use for it but I use ours to scrape the paddocks in Spring (because no way am I burrowing under snow looking for concrete dung to collect ;) )

If you need to re-seed then you can also get seeders too.
 
We have a flail that tows behind the quad, does the job but takes ages. We actually got a ride on mower last year, so much quicker, but we still use the flail if the grass is a bit long.

I have a harrow, but only use it once/twice a year. We have sheep, only eleven, 12 acres, but they do the job. Next purchase will be a roller, though tbh we don't desperately need it.

I use the strimmer A LOT, depends how neat you want it to look :)
 
Pork chop, yes, I use our lawn tractor a lot too, more than the bush hog, easier to top fields with, and I can still haul the harrow around on the back of it.
 
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