advice on track system please

[rose bud]

hi all.
just aquick question............
i set up a trck system around the outsise of my approx 1.5 acre field. the track is about 12 - 15 ft wide. with all this nice weather the grass in the centre part (that they are not grazing) has shot up lately, as have the thistles, nettles and buttercups.
the track that they are grazing still has sufficiant grass for them.
i am just wondering what everyone does with the grass in the centre peice? might sound a stupid question, but do you just leave it for winter and then allow them to graze it gradually? i would imagine that it would be quite long by then!!
would it be ok to do that?
just after other peoples opinions/experiences please.
many thanks!

 

[CBFan]

I believe a lot of people leave it for winter... some cut it for hay. In your case, I'd be tempted to spray the weeds off now and maybe top it later in the summer (and rest it for long enough for cuttings to rot enough for them not to be overly palatable)if you feel there is going to be too much for yours come the Autumn... either that or get some sheep in to much it down for you

 

[ester]

we have ours round 3 acres (+1 other acre), we will use it for hay, once the buttercups have died back .

Once the hay has been cut the middle will be allowed to grow up tall again and we will likely use it for winter grazing as usual (in 3 acre patches) and then go back to the track in the spring. (this is tentative though as first year we have done it!)

 

[rose bud]

Hi, thank you for the replies so far! Another couple of questions that I have with it are: how bad are buttercups for horses? and if I leave the grass nice and long for winter, will this reduce the amount of hay that I need to feed?
This is my first year with the system, so a bit apprehensive.

 

[ester]

I don't worry about the buttercups, they taste horrid hence why the rampage so much as they don't eat.

I don't think leaving the grass long for winter makes a huge difference to hay fed (ours are only out in the day), most of it dies back a bit and I only do it as i know it doesn't have too much nutritionally. The main reason we have always done it is it protects the ground and it doesn't get so muddy!

 

[canteron]

If you aren't going to use it for hay, you need to top it 2 or 3 times during the Summer. This lets the light down to the bottom and allows new grass to grow so you can encourage a good thick grass coverage.

Having said that, there is a school of thought that says don't top too early either ..... the grasses grow and block out the sunlight for some low growing weeds (buttercups, marestail, etc) and therefore they don't grow as strongly and don't become so invasive!!!

There is more to this grass business than there seems!