How long do you let your rested paddocks grow/get and grazing Q?

[PennywithHenry]

With my limited grazing I have a small paddock which is the 'winter paddock' complete with stable access that Vogue goes in at night. She then has 3 small paddocks which I rotate for her that she goes in, with hay, for the best part of the day (6am-9/10pm)

Firstly, I find that I need to rotate every 5/6 days, meaning that the paddocks only get, at most, 12 days resting.

I was wondering how long rested paddocks should be before grazing, and also, I've been thinking, since I feed hay pretty much all the time anyway, maybe she'd be better off going into the grass paddock for an hour or two a day, then back to the winter paddock? Surely that way she'd get a good two hours on better grass, the paddocks would last longer, therefore be rested longer?

 

[Cahill]

mine depends on the weather.
because i strip graze then i am always closing up the bit behind as i open a new bit.if i look across the field it`s all at different stages.

4-8 weeks i suppose or it gets too punished.

 

[PennywithHenry]

Thanks for that cahill.

So do you agree that it'd be best to just graze her for a couple of hours per day to get the maximum from the paddocks?

 

[Bedlam]

It's difficult to say really without knowing acreage?

We rest ours for minimum of 4 weeks. Ideally I would say 8 weeks between grazing I think, especially if it's been treated in any way.

 

[Cahill]

at the start of the year i thought about letting them have the whole field for couple of hours in the morning,then come in ,then hay at tea time(i also supplement my limited grazing at home field).
now i have reverted back to my strips again,just for conveinance really,moving the water and poo picking.also they eat it right down and any rough bits i run over with the mower after.sometimes i dont move the fence,just put a slice of hay in.
it`s all trial and error really and also in a small bit it can get trashed when it rains.

 

[angiebaby]

I do exactly the same as CAHILL! Paddocks have usually grown back in about 4 weeks.

Why not leave them on just one for the whole of the summer, and feed hay; then you will have the others for winter.

I have 3 acres for winter,which is topped about three times,
I find the longer grass in winter helps to save the field from being churned up

 

[amandaco2]

ive got 3 horses on just under 2 acres-one one acres field, two 1/2 acre.
it is a struggle
winter they have about 1 acre
then they move onto 1/2 acre field in spring and graze that down.they get hay.try to keep them on there as long as poss-3-5 weeks.
then they go on the other 1/2 acres for 3-5 weeks.
i divide the winter field in half and they go on each half for about 4-5 weeks
i try to rest the 1/2 acre summer fields during the hotter months let them get as long as poss, then move the horses onto the two 1/2 acre fields and let the winter field rest as long as poss-pref minumum of 2-3 months really.
ive also got a little 1/3 acre part of yos field to use in summer-i put one horse in there for about 3 weeks to take the pressure off my fields, then it rests for 3 weeks.

 

[Rachntabby]

we have ours on the summer paddocks about april time (depending on weather) and then dont go onto the winter ones until october so the winter fields are full of grass

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

our 2 summer fields are alternated and used / rested for 6 weeks

then they move to the winter one in october

 

[pottamus]

The majority of my field is left rested from May onwards so the farmer can cut it for hay in July/August. My lad then goes back on it October time so there is loads of grass for winter and it never gets poached. I have him on a smaller section from April through to Oct as he is a native, so he picks at what grass grows in it and has hay throughout the summer.