cattle or no cattle?

Cuppatea

Cuppatea

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We have 120 acres on our farm, some of which we rent to the next door cattle farm for the grass. they help us out a lot with hedge cutting, land maintanence, lend of equipment ettc We had our usual yearly sit down as to whch fields they will have the grass off, which to re-seed etc etc, and had a plan and payment for the year so that we were both happy. Now what we decided and that has happened every years o far is that we have the first cut from the 'good' grass fields for haylege and they have the subsequent cuts and the meadow grass fields for silage and hay for their cattle-always baled/taken away, never grazed. There was one field ('ours') that we said to them about a month ago they could cut for silage as a bonus as it was too good for the horses to 'trash'. Now, they came up yesterday to check the grass and have told us that as its so wet, the tractors etc would make too much mess in the fields to bale the grass so they are going to graze it now instead!
a) we didnt put horses in any of these fields as they would poach it-surely cows will do just that?
b)we work the pointers in the fields - cant now as they will be full of cows and the poaching will ruin the ground for the horses after thay are out
c)the cattle will have to go through the yard everytime they move fields - open stable blocks full of horses never mind the mess!

So, my question - will grazing cattle mess up the fields like we think they will and also how within our rights are we if we say no way to any of it and give back the rent money and do our own 'grass farming'? Bearing in mind we might lose all the help they give us.
 
As cattle have cleft hooves, they trash it as much if not more than what horses do. At the end of the day it's your land to do with as you please, you only agreed for them to have a cut of silage off it, not to graze their cattle on it.
 
Tell them as it is?
"hi, sorry we seem to have gotten crossed wires. We dont graze that field as it poaches badly and we use it to work the dogs, really wouldnt be happy with cattle in there for those reasons but if you want to wait a bit until the ground dries out, you could possibly bale then?"
 
joeanne said:
Tell them as it is?
"hi, sorry we seem to have gotten crossed wires. We dont graze that field as it poaches badly and we use it to work the dogs, really wouldnt be happy with cattle in there for those reasons but if you want to wait a bit until the ground dries out, you could possibly bale then?"
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Ditto this....but i assumed when OP said pointers i thought they meant point to pointers lol...blonde moment!
 
We rent a number of fields of grass for cutting and grazing. You are the landowner, you say what happens on your land. If you don't want cattle on the land then say so.
I am not sure of the timing about this, were they proposing to cut and bale in November?
And to put cattle out now? All our cattle are in off the grass now as they were starting to poach the ground.

Yes, just say you have had a think and changed your mind.
 
ORANGEHORSE said:
I am not sure of the timing about this, were they proposing to cut and bale in November?
And to put cattle out now? All our cattle are in off the grass now as they were starting to poach the ground.
Click to expand...

no, it was last month when we all sat down, in the dry weather when they could quite easily have cut and taken away. It was all for silage rather than bales as far as i knew. Its the poaching that we are most concerned about as even when the cattle were to go - the fields would be useless for our turnout and impossible to canter horses in. Im wondering if they never intended to cut the grass and just use our land to trash instead of theirs.
It so frustrating as we dont want to fall out with them at all but just feel like we're getting walked over.

Thanks for all your replies, just needed confirmation that we weren't over re-acting!
 
If the field was not in the original agreement you don't have to let them graze it (I assume they are not paying for it). Just tell them that you agree it is too late to cut the grass but don't want the field grazed either. Be straight and stand your ground.
 
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