I hate mud!!!

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bluekerry123

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Please can someone give me some reassurance? My new fields are on clay, with ditches that haven't been cleared for some time, and the mud is unbelievable! My last field was on a hillside with well draining soil, but really exposed so the horses didn't winter well last year, hence have bought a bit of land, that is low lying, and runs into fairly firm marsh grass. But as its the first time i have had the gees on this kind of grazing, I am really worried about how the field is going to recover! Or even IF it will recover! Don't want to tell OH that he has bought another dud!:confused:
 
I don't think any of us can believe our fields will ever recover when we look at the Somme look-a-likes that our fields turn into in the Winter.

I liveried my horse at a yard a couple of years with really heavy clay land and it was an unbelievable mess by the end of Winter, but by late Spring/early Summer, once rolled and harrowed, it recovered really quickly due to its high fertility and everyone soon forgot about the mud. I don't even think the gate areas needed re-seeding and before we knew it the topper was working non-stop. Clay can offer the best and the worst, but don't worry, it will most definately recover.

The worst thing is the stickiness of clay, can pull shoes off in worst cases, but there's almost no such thing as perfect land. I think we always worry more when its our own land, especially as its your first Winter.

Just think - you will be looking at beautiful green fields before too long - just hang on in there and maybe elec fence off the areas that get most trashed. X
 
Agree with Finnywinny. Clay does have an amazing ability to recover. Getting the timing right to harrow and roll it is the key we have found. It really can be too wet to roll one day then too hard the next but honestly it will come back again. You must be so excited having your own land. The other thing is now you know how the land is you can think about how you might be able to divide it up a bit more next winter and so on.
 
Thankyou! I have plenty spare, just getting the timing right like you said.....waiting for one or two dryer days to move them onto a fresh bit, the turf peels like sunburnt skin! Seem to spent half my life putting divots back! Love these forums, they really put my mind at rest.
 
Hi there, I am in exactly the same position, first winter in our new field, which is on clay with ditches that need doing! (that's a job for the spring)

There is so much mud and standing water it's unbelievable! :( My horses will need webbed hooves. I'm totally sick of the winter already, everyday I'm coming home caked in mud, sigh.

Thanks to everyone who said it will recover you have helped put my mind at rest too.
 
Same here, the fields are in a bad way!
A little care when the weather dries up a bit should sort it out! Just don't leave it too long to roll out the hoof marks and tracks or it will dry out very rough!

You could try draining the field, I know that you say the land is low-lying but even a small gradient can help get excess water away! Another option (cheaper) would be to get the ditches cleared out only with a digger, this can improve the drainage of the surrounding land as it gets the water away quicker!

Hope the fields dry up soon!
 
its probably a long way off due to finances, but draining a field.....what does that entail? does anyone know? gonna do the ditches come spring......
 
There are many different types of drainage available. Here is an article from Ireland (2009) and it has costings listed at the bottom of the page:

http://www.farmersjournal.ie/2009/0404/farmmanagement/farmbuildings/feature.shtml

Drainage can be expensive but you can do it in stages, like start with cleaning out the ditches then you could put the drains in at a later stage. Ask around to see who in your area has a good rep. and not too expensive!
 
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