Standing Hay - the verdict?

[southerncomfort]

Just a follow-up to the pre-winter standing hay thread.

This was my first winter using standing hay/foggage and I would say it has its pros and cons.

The biggest plus for me was that, because the sward was so dense, my ponies were still able to get plenty of turnout despite it being one of the wettest winters I can remember. The land was squelchy underfoot but, except for outside the field shelter, was not muddy or boggy.

The only thing that was a slight issue was that the grass closest to the ground was yellow and soggy, and clearly not very appetising as the ponies only ate the top third of each blade of grass and left the rest. This meant that I had to move the fence further each day than I normally would and consequently had to move the ponies on to the next paddock almost a month earlier than usual.

Overall I was happy with how it went but think in an ideal world I'd get the field topped late spring as their is already a foot and a half of new grass in there.

Would be interested to hear how everyone else got on.

 

[L&M]

We have wintered ours out for a few years now on standing hay - it has always worked well, even with the wet winter we had last year, although some of the grass was flattened prematurely due to the incessant rain. 3.5 acres for 2 small horses.....

We do like to top ours around mid may as find it improves the sward and knocks back any weeds we may not spot once the grass gets too high.

Where we winter ours out is on the top of a hill, so very well draining, even in the worst of the weather, so the standing hay never gets 'mushed' if that makes sense, and the only mud we get is in the gateway and around the trough, but even that is minimal. However the downside is that that it can get very windy so they have to be rugged well, and no chance of putting out additional forage if the grass gets low as would just get blown away.

 

[planete]

Reading with interest as I am planning to keep one half of my field for foggage this coming Winter. I have a fellow livery's horse eating the top of it until the end of the month so it sounds as if I am doing the right thing so far. I have to restrict my horse's grazing at this time of year but plan on gradually opening up the field for Winter grazing.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

We had 14 acres of standing hay. The sheep went in about July and then a mare and foal in Dec. It is a very wet field, clay and doesn't drain well. It held up really well feed wise, never had to feed hay but was badly cut up by the horses. Very thankful we didn't top it or make hay off it. Would have been very hard work carrying hay down to the sheep and horses every day and not nearly as successful as them eating standing hay. Only worry now is that having been grazed off so thoroughly and having the sheep already grazing it there won't be much for this next winter.