Harrowing I’m new to it.

[pistolpete]

So my boy is in a field with four others. Well was four now three. Not poo picked all winter but is seven or eight acres of dry chalk. The plan is to harrow it at some point. It’s his first year at this field. Is it crucial when the manure is harrowed in? Do the horses need to be off it for any length of time? Will it act as fertiliser? All new to me always poo picked before here.

 

[ImmyS]

So my boy is in a field with four others. Well was four now three. Not poo picked all winter but is seven or eight acres of dry chalk. The plan is to harrow it at some point. It’s his first year at this field. Is it crucial when the manure is harrowed in? Do the horses need to be off it for any length of time? Will it act as fertiliser? All new to me always poo picked before here.

I follow this group on FB now I’ve started managing land, it’s very helpful and informative with lots of pinned topics you can find all the information you need on. Including harrowing etc.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1890362961227996/?ref=share

 

[blitznbobs]

It needs to be done when the land is dry but not so dry that it’s rock solid. If it’s done when it’s very wet then it just makes a mess of your land as the tractor/ vehicle just sinks in and makes ruts etc.
if you are harrowing poo in then the horses should be off it for 6 weeks afterwards as a) the exposure to sunlight reduces worm egg burden and b) reduces the chance of grass sickness which is increased by disturbing the ground.

hth
xx

 

[MissTyc]

We split our large field into three sections. It's not a proper rotation per se, but it means we can harrow as soon as they leave one section and rest it for a few months afterwards - was definitely worth the investment of the fencing as the land is so much healthier now. The field had been used as a whole for the same number of horses for decades. We split it 5 years ago. Three years ago, we started to see a huge crop of wildflowers, and the rested sections are alive with insects and ground nesting birds now ... so now we have to factor that into our management as well, but I've learned a lot about "rewilding" (not in the true sense, in the sense of what we can achieve on our little patch of land!), and it's beautiful and healthier.

 

[SEL]

What are your worm counts? Anything over zero and harrow when it's hot so you have a chance of killing off parasites.

I spent time on a livery yard that would randomly harrow and never really rest the fields - horrendous worm counts

 

[GoldenWillow]

Our field is being harrowed and rolled today. Only one half is being harrowed though and that bit will be rested. The top bit is poo picked throughout the year and will only be rolled, will be harrowed later on it ground conditions suitable and then rested for a couple of weeks. I'd always rest if at all possible after harrowing because of the risks associated with grass sickness.

The harrowing muck in is slightly dependent on worm count situation but anything other than clear worm counts I would rest after as well. I don't poo pick the bottom half of my field and it gets harrower in but it's only grazed September to March.

 

[pistolpete]

What are your worm counts? Anything over zero and harrow when it's hot so you have a chance of killing off parasites.

I spent time on a livery yard that would randomly harrow and never really rest the fields - horrendous worm counts

All zero at the moment. Due to be done again soon.