Shutting off hay fields

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goldypops

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If you graze your hay fields over the winter, when do you shut them off??? I normally bring my horses out of it by the end of january but with the ground being so wet and their summer field having standing water in it I am reluctant to move them over for them to trash their spring/summer grazing. How long can I leave them in the hay field and still get a decent hay crop??
 
Our fields are very productive despite salt air and being trashed through the winter.
The latest we have left them open to horses is March, and still we had a good crop of hay.
Hope that is useful.
Teg :)
 
Usually around now, but depends on ground really, if the hay field gets churned it takes longer to recover. They are sometimes in it as late as mid march. And normally get two cuts.
 
I normally go for end of Feb/ early March and haven't had a problem with it being this late - but they only go on the winter field over the Christmas holidays so it isn't too churned by - even with all this crazy weather!
 
Really depends on the weather an state of the fields after winter. Normally would look at end feb to beginning of march but due to the state of them this year will probably shut them off in the next week, 2 at the most.
 
Shut ours off mid November but we look at getting a cut as soon after mid May as possible just depends on the weather :rolleyes: now but if it does not look like we will get a good cut or it chucks it down for half the year it can be grazed and we will just buy hay in.
 
What do you guys do once you have taken your horses off. Harrow, reseed etc? I just harrowed last year and didnt get so much hay. Anyone got any good tips?
 
We roll so it's easier for the bailer to pick up and then fertilise - I know lots of horsey people think this is illegal but if you're perminantly taking goodness out of the soil it has to come back from somewhere.
We got 320 bales from a 2.8 acre field that had been used all winter.
Last year was very odd weather wise as the spring was very dry so grass late to grow - we cut ours in mid August
 
At the yard I livery on they move them off mid April then cut end August. That managed to fill a huge hay barm with hay this year so seems to be long enough to let grass grow.
 
I usually take mine off by end march and take one cut middle/end july or last year end august, depends when its ready and if the weathers good.
 
Usually by mid March. Grass doesn't grow much until weather warms up so there's not much benefit in vacating field early unless you have weeks of work to do before growing season starts. Even then if field wet you can't harrow and too early for spraying so IMO, if you can, stay on it for at least another month.
 
Thanks everyone. Thinking I will bring them off half term week which is 2-3 weeks time then the kids can help with the electric fencing (!!) but if necessary judging by the replies they could stay there for a few more weeks after that. The field gets harrowed and if we can get on we will spread some muck so I suppose its a case of watching the weather! - seems to be my main occupation at the moment!
 
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