Just had to buy in yet more hay!

[southerncomfort]

In April!

Literally never had to do this before but the grass just isn't growing at all.

I put mine in one of the summer paddocks as the winter field is bare and what little grass that was there was eaten to the earth in a day.

We managed to roll and harrow everything over the weekend but with temperatures set to stay low all week, I can't see us getting any growth any time soon.

I've heard rumours of a long hot summer but I'm not convinced!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Our little herd of three are on a Track system and we feed hay at regular intervals as part of their general management programme, so we buy in hay all the year!

 

[TheMule]

Grass is growing like crazy here- they've been off the winter field for a week and it's already looking good enough to graze again

 

[sherry90]

Grass is definitely coming through just at a slower rate IMO.

 

[southerncomfort]

We are on a hill and tend to be a degree or two colder than everywhere else around us so growth is slow to get going usually, but not quite this slow!

 

[tda]

Same here, we have a track of sorts and feed haylage all year, just tidied up The centre and it's looking slightly better but not much
Just bought another 34 bales, ???

 

[canteron]

Same here - and what a price !!!

 

[exracehorse]

Mine still on winter paddocks with haylage. No grass at all. I won’t put them on summer fields until first week June.

 

[TPO]

Ditto

Our rested summer paddocks (been off them since last sep/oct) have nothing growing. Sheep went on them for a fortnight, after the horses came off, to clean them up but that's been it. There has been so much rain and then standing water that a lot of the grass has been killed off. Now there is moss and clover.

Drainage is supposed to be getting redone but theres been little movement ? once that's done the fields are being reconfigured into 4 equal paddocks and the two not in use ones will be oversown and possibly fertilised. Then same again when they rotate fields.

The fields had a very light dusting of fertiliser last year but the heavy rains have just killed off anything good trying to grow.

There seems to be an abnormally high rainfall here and the problem is compounded with the blocked drains and councils not clearing roadside ditches.

We've still got about 100 bales left, and are down to two horses for now, but u undoubtedly will need another load in the not too distant future

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Here I've had a total of 1.5mm of rain in March, nothing since. Literally tips growing and that's it.
Even 5 miles away they have had more rain!
Looking over the next 3 weeks there is bog all wet stuff forecasted.

 

[Meredith]

No summer field here until July because of EGS.
The nearest grass has been grazed since Christmas and looks bare until you get close.
The far field has been left since Christmas. It was all foggage. The top part wasn’t grazed down enough. The lower part was bare then but has grown. I reckon the difference is what my pony has eaten and is eating.
He will get some hay until i can see the growth getting away from him.

 

[Wishfilly]

The grass is just about growing here (only obvious on parts of the field that aren't grazed), and I'm about as far south as it's possible to get. I can well imagine that it's not growing at all further north.

And it's likely we will get frosts tonight/tomorrow which won't help.

 

[milliepops]

ours is growing, lawn looks bleddy wild and i've noticed the ones that live out are not as keen for hay as normal. but .. desperate for rain. ground is all cracked. Hope we don't have another year where it's too dry in spring so there is nothing to mow for hay. It's in pretty short supply round here, my old YO asked OH for some as his chap had run out, but he doesn't really have enough to help out new customers.

 

[Griffin]

We're still putting hay out in the fields at night. The grass is starting to grow but it is very dry here. To be honest, I am stilly trying to slim down two good doers, so I am quite glad that there is not too much grass and it's chilly.

 

[Asha]

it’s working out great for my old girl . Having to give loads of hay/Haylage . But , it’s the first year in ages that she’s looked so well . Crest right down , and looking and feeling fab . No sign of lami, which Is a relief as the past couple of years I feel we are getting closer and closer to an episode.

 

[eggs]

Still using winter field as summer fields haven’t got going well enough yet. Very dry though and ground is starting to crack so think I will have to be patient a while longer. This time last year they were out in summer fields 24/7

 

[rextherobber]

I can't get any hay at all, my usual supplier is bringing big bales of haylage in from the west country...hope we get a couple of cuts this year or we will be in serious trouble this winter. It's trying to snow here atm....

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Down to the last bales and wasn’t planning to buy any more.

Come on grass!

 

[suestowford]

We never get much grass until the beginning of May so am used to all this. But it suits my natives not to have too much too early, at least it staves off the dreaded laminitis.

 

[southerncomfort]

I must admit that it's nice not to be lying awake at night worrying about my mini shetland. Normally she's in her own pen by this point but she's loving still being free range with the others.

 

[Goldenstar]

We need rain !

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Mine are actually doing a few hours a day in their stables at the moment, just to get them out of the field.

We have tiny, pathetic baby grass trying it’s heart out to survive and I’m feeling quite protective of it ?

 

[Goldenstar]

I must admit that it's nice not to be lying awake at night worrying about my mini shetland. Normally she's in her own pen by this point but she's loving still being free range with the others.

Thats like Fatty at this time of year he’s out with the others I love it .

 

[southerncomfort]

We need rain !

I was just out in the garden in full winter coat, hat gloves and scarf, watering the flower beds!

 

[spotty_pony]

Ours is growing like crazy! I still have mine in at night but they eat practically no hay all night as they are so full!

 

[meleeka]

Grass growth has slowed here down South. I hate to say it but we do need a bit of rain now.

 

[PurBee]

I see grass growing elsewhere when i go for a drive, except in my deer-grazed paddocks.

might be fencing 1000m deer fence this spring aswell as build a house - and here was me thinking this year would be less stressful than last!

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

Our summer field is finally starting to bounce back and also mare is no longer standing at the gate waiting for me so there is definitely grass out there.

Our garden grass is going wild!

 

[BaronSamedi]

Grass growing like wildfire here and been in grazing muzzles for a month already

 

[Nicnac]

For the first time in over 25 years I've had a full 3rd delivery of hay. Usually 2 deliveries (c.300 small bales) take me through 12 months including lorry hay. The summer fields are green but just not enough to put them in as after a few days they'd be bare. Am keeping them in winter field which is getting a few sprigs of new growth and haying as well as still bringing in at night. Usually at clock change they go out out for the summer.

Bummer is that my winter field is now ready for rolling/harrowing but no option to move them (although the grass in the garden is growing well so may have to move them into the garden to get the winter field sorted!)