Foggage - and what to do with it?

[MrsMozartleto]

I have approx 11 acres of foggage and wondering what to do with it.

As I understand it, I can either open it up to the neds, or have it topped.

We're heading into winter. I have 2 good do-ers and 1 old lady who can sometimes be fiddly to keep the weight on. They've been in a paddock that's moved out every few days and that's worked fine, though recently supplemented with hay as I wanted them occupied whilst some work was going on in the field.

I'd like to open up the full 11 acres to the neds, but is it too much? What's the drawbacks of 18" high grass that is now, I suspect, losing its calories?

Of the 3 neds 2 are retired and 1 isn't really in any sort of work as yet.

I had a contractor stop by the other day and is going to give me a quote to top it, but a friend says the grass won't recover from under the cut stuff in time for Spring.

I feel bad about wasting anything that could have a use. I also have no wish to spend money that I don't absolutely have to as there's plenty of other things it can be spent on!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

It's really just like standing hay. I would let them into it gradually, or they will flatten most of it and render it inedible while looking for the tastiest bits.

 

[TPO]

Standing hay here too. The big field was bring strip grazed and rotated around other paddocks.

End of the month field is opened up and they can have at it

It worked fine last year; it was all the wet that ruined the grazing ?

 

[meleeka]

I strip grazed mine to make it last as long as possible. They came in at night but I didn’t have to hay in the field until after Christmas (this was the year before last. It was under water last year ).

 

[Hallo2012]

mine have approx 3/4 acre foggage each and just let them at it in one go. they will move on to it in a couple of weeks and it will last them until 01/03 approx (but they come in at 2pm dec/jan/feb)
Mine is probably 2ft long

 

[MrsMozartleto]

Thank you all.

I shall tell the contractor that we're going the 'eating it as is' route, and tell D that he can go move the fencing out (as I'm incredibly busy sitting on my arfff drinking tea and learning about land management ).

The field was cut last August, before we got it, as the farmer who was renting it had to return it as was when he got it, i.e. short grass. I'd naively thought we could have hay cut off it this year, but am learning about these things... maybe next year, if I can find a local contractor who's interested in doing a small area . If I remember right, the horses were in a paddock then we opened it up about this time of year, though the grass was only from August long. We only had to put hay in when the snow was too deep. The neds are out 24/7/364.

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

Mine has gone on to a large area of foggage in December with no issue at all. But I'm having to strip graze her into the field still at this time of year because she's come up a bit pulsy a couple of times.

 

[Carrottom]

I strip graze but also move the fence up behind them at this time of year as the grass is sil growing. So they move across the field in one direction and then come back again.

 

[Britestar]

Mine have done into 8 acres of foggage. It will last then until around January. There are 8 of them out there. Fat full tummies.

 

[southerncomfort]

I strip grazed mine to make it last as long as possible. They came in at night but I didn’t have to hay in the field until after Christmas (this was the year before last. It was under water last year ).

Same as above. Mine went on it beginning of November last year and strip grazed it.

The biggest benefit I found is that during winter it didn't get muddy at all because their was a good thick sward.

 

[eggs]

My grass never got going enough this year to end up as foggage. As I muck clear daily the biggest problem I find with opening it all up in one go is finding the poo in the long grass so I usually just use electric tape to open up a new section each week.

 

[ester]

ours are only out in the day over winter and have it in 2 halves (about 1.5 acres each). Though that is partly because if madam has an electric fence between her and the yard she walks it, post and rail fine . They've moved a bit earlier onto a small/strip graze bit of it this year due to the wet, and they usually get the second half just after Christmas
They have to come in at night by fireworks night as surrounded by houses.

 

[Gloi]

I have approx 11 acres of foggage and wondering what to do with it.

As I understand it, I can either open it up to the neds, or have it topped.

We're heading into winter. I have 2 good do-ers and 1 old lady who can sometimes be fiddly to keep the weight on. They've been in a paddock that's moved out every few days and that's worked fine, though recently supplemented with hay as I wanted them occupied whilst some work was going on in the field.

I'd like to open up the full 11 acres to the neds, but is it too much? What's the drawbacks of 18" high grass that is now, I suspect, losing its calories?

Of the 3 neds 2 are retired and 1 isn't really in any sort of work as yet.

I had a contractor stop by the other day and is going to give me a quote to top it, but a friend says the grass won't recover from under the cut stuff in time for Spring.

I feel bad about wasting anything that could have a use. I also have no wish to spend money that I don't absolutely have to as there's plenty of other things it can be spent on!

We like to strip graze it through the winter. It is from what has grown after a hay crop has been taken in summer.most winters 5 acres keeps 4 native ponies until about February before it is finished and hay is needed. Don't open all the field at first or it will get trodden and wasted. The ponies come off it about April, it is harrowed and becomes hay the next summer while the ponies are on the small summer field.

 

[tda]

Yes, like everyone say best to strip graze or they will definitely waste most of it!
They can be big strips ?

I would wait til the temp drops a bit, but long/old grass much better than short for tubbies

 

[MrsMozartleto]

Thank you all

We've opened it up and will move it up into strip sections, just letting them have a play as they love it, and the amount of area they cover with the shelter and water being at the far end they can enjoy it for a couple of days

We're in Scotland so temps already dropping at night and there's a good drying breeze that brushes over the land.

The paddock is poo picked daily, but earlier this year we harrowed the rest when they came off the whole lot.

Am bolloxed. Went out and helped. I am such a kind person..., and if I hadn't then I'd be making dinner and I'm out of ideas

 

[Polos Mum]

Enjoy not having to put hay out for ages. I have standing hay that I will move them onto over winter, I open the last field on Christmas eve and this lasts them until Feb before I need to start putting hay in the field.

Yours will waste sum but given you would probably have to pay someone to top and then collect it off the field anyway (just topped it would likely be too thick and it would rot the grass underneath)- there is more benefit from the bit they will get to.

 

[MrsMozartleto]

Yay to not having to put hay out! Twanged my side rolling one over to their home paddock. Whinge. My own fault for falling down a mud filled hole the other day - it was a real Vicar of Dibley moment . Think we need a hay-putter-outer-machine-thingamabob...

 

[Regandal]

My field was topped in late summer. Tried it as foggage before, but the first lot of heavy rain and wind flattened it all. Unholy mess underneath.

 

[HBB]

Sorry to hijack your thread MrsMozart.

This is the first year I am strip grazing foggage, can anyone tell me how to minimise the damage to the grass/soil as we move the fence leaving a strip? The ponies are ripping the long grass out by the roots and leaving bare patches

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I just let mine on it in about November it's only a small paddock they soon eat it down and it comes back fine each year.

 

[Gloi]

Sorry to hijack your thread MrsMozart.

This is the first year I am strip grazing foggage, can anyone tell me how to minimise the damage to the grass/soil as we move the fence leaving a strip? The ponies are ripping the long grass out by the roots and leaving bare patches

Ours always looks bad by the end of winter but we take them off it in spring ,harrow and roll it and it grows again like nothing happened.

 

[HBB]

Thank you @Pinkvboots and @Gloi

 

[L&M]

We have 4 acres of foggage for 2 small horses - it is split into 2 paddocks and they have just moved them into the first one, which usually lasts until around Dec (they are out 24/7 m-th, then in at night over the weekends). They go into the second half around Christmas and usually don't run out of grass before end of feb, when we put hay out until they move onto the spring/summer grazing.

The 4 acres are on the top of a hill, so well draining, so have no mud to worry about. We don't strip graze as any electric fencing would probably get blown down, and they seem to self regulate without any issues. However this years foggage is shorter but better quality than lasts years, so am keeping a close eye for lami, but they are in full work and hunt weekly, so will hopefully will utilise the calories.

 

[nikkimariet]

Rooni and Bruce are on just over an acre each for winter. Fig has 1/2 and strip grazed due to his Lami. They are on the winter grass Oct to Mar/Apr and then move into the summer. Bruce has 3/4 acre and Rooni verging on 2. Fig has a 1/2 acre strip grazed section again.

Bruce is merrily topping my summer fields for me currently

My winter grass was topped about 6 months ago and is almost 2ft in density now. I’m on sandy soil.

 

[southerncomfort]

Mine is rested from end March/beginning of April so it does grow very tall. Maybe a smidge too tall as its prone to going over in bad weather.

Husband has found a grass topper that can be pulled by a 4x4 so we're thinking of buying one and topping the grass end of June/beginning of July next year.

Hopefully this will help deal with weeds too as I worry they'll take over if the grass isn't topped.