Grass

[Ceriann]

I have a 4 acre field I use in early spring (I have sheep on it over winter) and autumn/early winter. It’s too good over late spring/summer and access issues to use as a full winter field. I’ve had the sheep on it a month so made a good dent but still decent grazing. I’m keen to get my horses on it as usual - it has lots of slopes and my ridden horse benefits from this and is always in better shape. This year just seems to have been really difficult with grass and weight and I still have untouched summer paddocks as been keeping them mean. When does grass become less sugary and is the mild weather delaying this this year? Anyone changing plans?

 

[MotherOfChickens]

When does grass become less sugary and is the mild weather delaying this this year?

depends where you are, how high up you are etc but the mild weather is having an effect even with me, 1400ft up on poor soil. I am still muzzling, the September grass peak has extended through October this year and the regrowth I have in different fields is quite staggering. Can't see me losing the muzzles altogether for a bit yet.

 

[Coblette]

I’ve just moved onto my winter field for the day but muzzled as so much grass!! Feel mean but it’s for her benefit

 

[Nudibranch]

I'm delaying moving onto the winter field as long as possible. It's usually beginning of October but this year the grass is still very green. I'm going to have to just bite the bullet though as the hunt will be coming through the summer grazing in a week or so. Not ideal, it could do with a few more weeks for the sheep to graze it down a bit and the lushness to subside.
On the plus side, I never feed hay in winter unless there's thick snow.

 

[Ali27]

I’ve just bought a 4.64 acre field which was cut for hay in July! I had to get 100 sheep on it for 3 weeks to eat it down! I started with ponies on a small paddock (using electric fencing) with grazing muzzles but that’s eaten down now so they are on that in the day without muzzles and in new section overnight with muzzles. My stables aren’t being built until mid Nov so will probably just keep on same regime until then and then give them 1/3 - 1/2 field unmuzzled from mid November through Winter and in at night.

 

[MuddyMonster]

Mine is still muzzled & on soaked hay. I'm probably going to keep him muzzled until mid- late November-ish I guess but going to play that by ear.

I think grass stops growing when the soil temperature is under 7°?

 

[Melandmary]

Mine went on the winter field last week due to an unplanned event and the sheep were moved elsewhere. I put fatties muzzle on but because the standing hay had been trampled she really couldn't get anything and for the first time turned her back to me when I went in with her muzzle. Grass is still growing but I have swapped turnout to night time so she is getting less sugar and I am actually glad I did because there was a bit of a frost this morning which was what triggered her lami last year.

 

[Ceriann]

I’ll keep them in the stripped paddocks a few weeks longer I think. Weight is coming down nicely at the minute, I don’t want to ruin that work. I don’t feed out at all anymore during winter unless we have snow and definitely won’t this winter as my hay cut paddocks are untouched and winter grazing looks great.