Water logged 'hay' field

[TURBOBERT]

Ok - so it's now mid August and we could not even get a tractor into our field at the mo - without leaving deep tracks. I am buying in winter hay - but what about the field? If we can cut it the hay will not be worth taking and the field might not be able to recover for winter grazing. If we just leave it I suppose the grass will just die back but does anyone know what the pasture will be like after that?

 

[birchave0]

hang fire, we have made hay in Setember before and although it wasn't the best we've ever made it was fine to use

If you decide not to make it I would still top it as soon as it's dry enough, otherwise the long stuff will just be dead so to speak, and the horses won't eat it.
If it's any consolation we still have 10 acres to get in.....

 

[pottamus]

I would hang fire and wait to make hay...we will get a dry week at some point and although not the best hay, it will be fine and do the job if made correctly when it is dry. My last years hay was baled at the end of August and was fine.
Even if you cut at the begin of Sept it will have the autumn to grow so you will have plenty of grass so long as you don't put the horses on it until about mid Oct time.
I personally would not top it as it will be too heavey and clogg the new grass from growing through.
I did not cut mine last year and some of the grass died back but was fine and my horse did chomp his way through it. A quick top and harrow in the spring sorted the rest out.

 

[Enfys]

Even if you don't get a cut off it, I wouldn't top it. The field will recover.

The horses will do very well eating their way through it as 'standing hay' , there is a name for it but I can't remember it, 'mizzle' they called it in my valley. It isn't wasted, unless your horses are incredible snobs and long eating long grass is beneath their dignity that is.

 

[henryhorn]

Just wait, it should be ok in September, of course the quality won't be the same but it will provide fibre.
When we lived in Lancs you often only got one clear chance to make hay, and we recall being bogged down with the baler! Making hay in late summer was pretty normal there.
We have all September yet, and although hay might be difficult to make haylage won't be, the hay will be so dead it will likely dry within a day and a half for baling.
If by any horrible chance we can't make it we plan to strip graze our fields for a month to use it that way.

 

[spaniel]

Thats what folks are doing down here too. If they cant get machinery on it soon it will be grazed off.