No rain and no grass

meleeka said:
They are wonderful , but such time wasters! You will be slave to the belly rubs in no time 😄. It's a bit of a myth that they don't root though, but it's not as deep as other breeds. Mine start if it rains and there's not much grass left, so paddock rotation is worth it.
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Tbh I’m hoping they root at least a bit - I’d like the land cleared, just not turned into the Somme 😂 so I thought a breed that doesn’t root as much was a good idea. Some of the land is under small trees and I’d love all that properly cleared.

We have two small plots, the larger one we’ll split up into a trash paddock for wet weather and a larger bit of grazing, and the smaller one we can turn them out in to graze on on rotation.

I’m very excited about it. The farm I livery at has pigs and I think they are just the sweetest, cleverest things. My horse took a while to come round to them though!
 
meleeka said:
They are wonderful , but such time wasters! You will be slave to the belly rubs in no time 😄.
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I've always said that pigs are the one thing I would not keep, because there's no way I'd be able to kill and eat them. Sheep, though.....some of our wethers have so little going on between the ears that it'll be like eating an ambulatory carrot.
 
This was Lari today.
He's not desperately thin but could do with a bit more weight on.

The mini paddock he goes out in for 20 mins, his dried paddock and the bit of grass left.

I've never known it this dry! 😟
 

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Mine’s on a track system where the middles get cut for hay once a year. The Timothy is shoulder height (helping to ragwort it last weekend was an experience!) and all being well YO is hoping to get it cut next week. She’s also got to a bigger meadow that’s looking good but not quite ready yet (but it’s always a fairly late cut tbh and she likes to do them at separate times anyway as easier to manage).

We’re in Yorkshire & it’s been pretty dry but there has been the odd couple of days of rain dotted through it (it rained last night for example & for maybe an hour a few days ago as well) & it’s tended to only go above 25 for a few days at a time so hasn’t baked everything.

Back garden still fairly green as well tbf other than the bits the dog pees on!

Some yards that are overstocked / that don’t have fields to rotate do look to be struggling for grass though. Yard at bottom of my road with about 3 acres per horse still looks to have masses of grass though even with 1 field that’s been shut off since start of Spring. What’s interesting is that there’s a field next to their land belonging to another livery yard that’s been empty since end of last year I think that’s got hardly anything growing but weeds. However said field has been overgrazed quite consistently in the past and to my knowledge hasn’t been reseeded or had anything spread on it to put back any nutrients. Just found it interesting how 2 fields literally side by side that have both been rested are behaving so differently where one you could probably get a cut of hay off it if you wanted and the other has barely anything.
 
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Your're right about those fields @Boulty , that is interesting. I guess we all know in theory the perils of overgrazing but having them side by side like that sounds quite a stark contrast.
 
Widgeon said:
I've always said that pigs are the one thing I would not keep, because there's no way I'd be able to kill and eat them. Sheep, though.....some of our wethers have so little going on between the ears that it'll be like eating an ambulatory carrot.
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Not all pigs are such nice characters. Kune Kune are known for being cheerful and friendly, but a friend had some (not sure what breed) and they were terrorists and stroppy with it.
 
Boulty said:
Mine’s on a track system where the middles get cut for hay once a year. The Timothy is shoulder height (helping to ragwort it last weekend was an experience!) and all being well YO is hoping to get it cut next week. She’s also got to a bigger meadow that’s looking good but not quite ready yet (but it’s always a fairly late cut tbh and she likes to do them at separate times anyway as easier to manage).

We’re in Yorkshire & it’s been pretty dry but there has been the odd couple of days of rain dotted through it (it rained last night for example & for maybe an hour a few days ago as well) & it’s tended to only go above 25 for a few days at a time so hasn’t baked everything.

Back garden still fairly green as well tbf other than the bits the dog pees on!

Some yards that are overstocked / that don’t have fields to rotate do look to be struggling for grass though. Yard at bottom of my road with about 3 acres per horse still looks to have masses of grass though even with 1 field that’s been shut off since start of Spring. What’s interesting is that there’s a field next to their land belonging to another livery yard that’s been empty since end of last year I think that’s got hardly anything growing but weeds. However said field has been overgrazed quite consistently in the past and to my knowledge hasn’t been reseeded or had anything spread on it to put back any nutrients. Just found it interesting how 2 fields literally side by side that have both been rested are behaving so differently where one you could probably get a cut of hay off it if you wanted and the other has barely anything.
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I see that contrast in my own fields on the livery yard. Fields, or areas of the field, that were used as sacrifice paddocks in winter, haven't recovered at all this year, even with resting. It's just weeds and dust. I suspect that they haven't had as much re-seeding etc as they usually would as we're due to move fields shortly. My fields that weren't overgrazed in winter have recovered reasonably well despite also having very little or no re-seeding. The field that I'm due to move onto has been rested, re-seeded and treated with nutrients and has so much grass now that I can't move mine onto it at all until another horse can eat some of it off!
 
canteron said:
Beware of Sand Colic, it’s a real risk a livery yard nearby by had about 9 cases and 3 or 4 deaths during the last drought.

Im feeding Sand Out (psyllium husk based) in a really sloppy mix and luckily can still let them into some longer grass for a couple of hours a day, but damp hay (doesn’t have to be soaked) also helps.
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I usually feed psyllium the first 7 days of every month. I started 3 days early this month. I'm terrified of Dave getting it again.
 
Widgeon said:
I've always said that pigs are the one thing I would not keep, because there's no way I'd be able to kill and eat them. Sheep, though.....some of our wethers have so little going on between the ears that it'll be like eating an ambulatory carrot.
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According to my vegan sister, I’m a terrible human being for planning to eat them. But I’ve always felt that if I can’t eat the ones I’ve kept and looked after, I’m a massive hypocrite eating meat from the supermarket…
meleeka said:
Not all pigs are such nice characters. Kune Kune are known for being cheerful and friendly, but a friend had some (not sure what breed) and they were terrorists and stroppy with it.
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I did placement at a commercial indoor pig unit and I never particularly liked the pigs there. Lost a good pair of waterproof over trousers to a one of weaners and never forgave them. But I do like Kune Kune, and a friend used to have I think Sandy & Blacks? That were very sweet.
 
YourValentine said:
This year is fficially hotter and drier than 1976.

Tips on managing grazing in drought from Aus.

If things are properly bone dry and nothing is growing, rather than continuing to rotate or move on to new ground. Pick a sacrifice area/field and feed hay and let them turn 1 area into a dust bath.
Rest everything else so that the grass is able to respond to any moisture we do get, a passing shower or heavy dew. It will bounce back much faster when it does rain.
It seems counterintuitive but it is the best option. Then once weve had rain and other areas pick up move them off the sacrifice area, scatter a bit of grass seed and leave till Spring if possible.

While nothing appears to be growing and in theory hooves can't do much damage to rock hard ground, they do and will be stressing the grass, slowing recovery when it does rain.

If you look at the growth and colour of grass verges, it is dry but uncompacted soil is managing to hold more moisture and respond better to the little bit of rain we have had.
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I’ve noticed that. If there are no horses on it, the water table is high enough that the grass does grow - but the moment it is being eaten…brown and crispy we are! My theory is more about how being eaten leads to more transpiration as if rips the leaves - the riding paddock grows fine even when trodden on regularly.

We have tried sacrifice paddock and hay, along with doubling the acreage they have access to for the younger ponies. The latter option has so far left me with green grass albeit not loads of it. The sacrifice paddock is so much dust right now.
 
Bobthecob15 said:
It’s a worry for sure, we are in desperate need of rain…last year July and August were a washout but so far doesn’t feel like we will be getting a repeat
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Exactly, last year we barely saw the sun in August. It raining here now, quite hard, but it’s only expected to last a few hours. We need a few weeks solid!
 
khalswitz said:
According to my vegan sister, I’m a terrible human being for planning to eat them. But I’ve always felt that if I can’t eat the ones I’ve kept and looked after, I’m a massive hypocrite eating meat from the supermarket…

I did placement at a commercial indoor pig unit and I never particularly liked the pigs there. Lost a good pair of waterproof over trousers to a one of weaners and never forgave them. But I do like Kune Kune, and a friend used to have I think Sandy & Blacks? That were very sweet.
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I didn't eat meat for nearly forty years but I kept pigs and took them myself to a butchers for slaughter. At least if you keep your own they have a lovely stress free life. The trouble was mine were too fat, and when I got the meat back from the butchers my husband wouldn't eat it. I have more success with a young bull, but unless you can sell it straight away it takes up a huge amount of freezer space.
 
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southerncomfort said:
Yep, so much for a lie in this morning. The rain woke me up at 7am. It was absolutely hammering down.
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It woke me too and it was absolutely delightful! Been heavy on and off the last couple of hours and forecast says thundery showers from 10am onwards. I am so excited! We havent had rain here for what feels like months. Our fields have a small stream running through the bottoms. it's usually a good 6inch deep but on inspecting the whole run of it yesterday, found one slightly damp patch and the rest is bone dry. Been haying every day and whilst the fatties are looking good, it's getting very worrying! Will be off to pop a muzzle on the EMS pony this afternoon (if I can catch her!).

All hail the rain!
 
HaffiesRock said:
It’s pouring here his morning!!!!
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It was meant to be doing the same here but we’ve had a small shower. Forecast has changed from rain all day and night to just night and then 24+ degrees for the next 2 weeks and no rain 😫
 
We of course have plenty of grass. I don't know if it is because we have a mirco climate or because of the way yard owner manages the grazing.

Bert and one of the Welsh section D are muzzled. Most of the horses on the yard are 16h plus, veterans or youngsters who can handle plenty of grass. Apart from Bert and the Section D who are both natives and in light work for different health reasons. Bert is also on soaked hay.

Most years YO thinks about having them on overnight turnout which would save on hay but she worries that even the poorer doers would become over weight. I think it is possibly the type of grass that we have plus the type of hay and most horses being in very light work or retired.

Weather forecast another heatwave.

www.bbc.co.uk

Slough - BBC Weather

14-day weather forecast for Slough.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
 
It’s raining here today (Lincolnshire) 😃 we honestly haven’t had any rain except for maybe a 30 second shower last week for at least a month and it’s dry and everywhere that’s been grazed is growing back brown. Not good news for having the hay cut in the next few days but I can take that as at least the grass will start growing again in the summer paddocks!

It’s meant to rain all day and possibly all night but it’s currently stopped… I rushed out on a hack at 8am as it said it was going to get worse throughout the day and got absolutely drenched! I’ve come back and just trying to dry everything out and the weather is better now than then! They got that wrong, I needn’t have rushed!!
 
I have just been moving my electric fence, its a track around a four acre paddock, so the middle is green, and its starting to rain enough to make me damp.

I started feeding straw in summer the about twenty years ago, they have a round bale netted, it stops them eating the grass to the roots, and I think when the grass is lush it keeps their stomachs fuller for longer. I feed 50/50 straw hay in winter any way, so as long as do not have to buy small bales I think I will be OK.
I may have trouble moving on the cows I bought to keep on top of the grass though. They are very cute HighlandX , but not a lot on them meat wise.
 
HaffiesRock said:
It’s pouring here his morning!!!!
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We’ve had a smidge of drizzle, that’s it. Whatever little rain we get barely wets the surface.
I weightaped my two this morning. They have dropped a little weight. That’s not a bad thing really, but it’s not something I’ve been actively trying to achieve.
I was thinking of leaving them out during the day (to give me a break from mucking out) but then thought if I do that I’ll just rip through the grass I have and the resting paddock doesn’t look to be recovering much.
 
Have had some thunder and some heavy rain. Very glad we have finally had some rain , I fear its not enough though. looking at the next couple of weeks its going to be very hot with no rain after today.
 
Lots of heavy rain has ben had. Brief pause where I managed to ride and poo pick, then back to heavy rain. It is glorious!
 
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