This winter leave them on 3 acres or make a "trash paddock"

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chrissy2014

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I'm current renting 3 acres and soon I wanted to divide it in half to rotate. I have a 16hh and 14hh on there.

What would be best this winter? Let them have the whole thing? divide it and allow grass to grow long in one side and use that for winter? or make a 3rd partition just as a trash paddock and maybe fill it with bark or sand or something. I am just worried a trash paddock will get too deep and suck their legs into the mud.

I'm on clay soil and they are out 24/7
 
I personally would divide it into 3. Rotate them over two sections through the summer and save a third for winter, however towards the end of summer / Autumn I'd aim to rest a second section for as long as possible so that you have that to graze before letting them on to the really well rested bit later on... Make sense? With clay, the more space you can give them the better... and while it may look bad at the end of winter, start resting it again and it will recover quite quickly :) ( Next year, I'd rest the bit that was grazed more heavily this year)...
 
I have 2 fields for my 2 cobs. Due to not wanting long lush grass, I manage as follows. Over winter they had both fields, closed one beginning of March, moved over to the rested one end April and start alternating, although they will soon have all of it through the summer as grass will stop growing quickly enough, to rotate by the time they have demolished field they are in.

I thought about a trash paddock in winter like you, but the thought of constant complete mud at all times did not appeal to me, at least them having it all, yes gateways get a little trashy but they can move off that once hayed and fed and left to roam and mooch. Mine are also greedy things and keeping them in one field would of meant them always wanting to be in the rested field so damage limitation aswell !!! fools them into thinking they have lots when they dont !!

Am also lucky that my field recover really well.
 
I have the same amount of land and rotate it however I do remove electric fencing in winter to make paddocks bigger so they stand a fighting chance

I don't think my field landlord would be happy if I made a trash paddock and definitely not if I surfaced it so worth just bearing that in mind in your case
 
How are they during the summer? Do you need to restrict their grazing at all? If so, I think I'd go for a track system around the outside in the summer (make it as wide or as narrow as you need to so they have the right amount of grazing) so you're resting the middle and keeping them on the move. Move them to the middle in about October so the outside can grow back a bit (our grass tends to keep growing until early Dec but do it sooner if you need to) then remove the fencing for the winter. Put it back up mid march and leave them in the middle for a few weeks so they have some grass around the outside by the time you put them back around the outside. If they don't need restricted grazing in the summer, I'd just split it into 2,but follow the same principle. It requires less fencing and effort!
 
Could you hardcore an area? I've only got a small field for my 3 but I've got an extended hardcore yard bit out the front of my stables (which I leave open so they can come and go) - then I stick a big bale of hay on the hardcore, they spend probably 70% of their day it seems standing about clean and dry on the hardcore eating hay, really helps with saving the field a bit and better for their legs/hooves. They also seem to poo on it a lot so its handy for easy poo picking ;)
 
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