Grass cuttings when fields topped?!

soulfull

soulfull

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 July 2007
Messages
6,506
Location
Staffs
Visit site
Fields finally being topped but will leave behind grass cuttings and buttercups. I honestly can't take them all up. And don't have another field.
What do you do?!
 
Just leave a few days for it to dry out a bit and then should be fine. Mine tend not to eat the cuttings too much and I kick the lumps round when poo picking just so it doesn't go yucky underneath. Never been a problem for us, in fact I think I think I have put them out straight on it before. I understood that it's a big heaped mound of short grass clippings which are the problem rather than longer stemmed topped grass.
 
Hmmmm... I guess it depends how much is topped or cut and how you are doing it? My field was recently 'topped' or should i say mown with my horse in it, which resulted in colic and emergency vet call out with buscapan... so I would definitely be mindful, there was a lot of grass in my paddock, if you have a fairly sparse eaten down paddock full of weeds you will probably be ok...
 
potto said:
Hmmmm... I guess it depends how much is topped or cut and how you are doing it? My field was recently 'topped' or should i say mown with my horse in it, which resulted in colic and emergency vet call out with buscapan... so I would definitely be mindful, there was a lot of grass in my paddock, if you have a fairly sparse eaten down paddock full of weeds you will probably be ok...
Click to expand...

We had same a large vet bill after horse colic'ked on grass cuttings, they ferment too fast(I am guessing it depends what kind of grass weeds length etc ie if hay like you may get away with it but if its moist, damp am guessing could ferment a lot quicker. I would not feed cuttings to a horse after our experience. Our horse got at some without our knowledge we discovered them munching happily but it was too late soon after. Nearly lost horse. Sorry.
 
This always used to worry me as the farm where I kept my girl didn't think twice about topping the field with the horses in it (and sprayed the docks, and spread pellet fertilizer) as she would follow the tractor around, eating the mowings. She had a thing about mowings and would even try to eat a pile that had been rotting for 6 weeks! We used to quickly clear an area, fence them on to it and then clear another bit every evening until it was done, moving the fence as we went.
 
Get your contractor to use a cut and collector and then safely dispose of the cuttings. That way no danger to the horses.
 
We were always told topped grass is fine, mown grass is not!

Think it is to do with the size of cut. We top when horses are in field and haven't had any issues :)
 
I think the difference between mowed and topped is that mowed cuttings are mulched and gathered, so there is a process of fermentation, rather than topped and spread, where it dries like hay.

I topped out a large quantity of himalayan balsam yestereday with ponies in field, and will be interested to see if they think it's edible...

Mine especially like topped nettles.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top