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Post by mandal on Jun 19, 2008 18:37:47 GMT 1
I was told that acidity creates buttercup heaven - farmers round us who spread lime (even though we are on limetsone) do not have a single buttercup. That's probably it!! My paddocks are/were very acid 5-5.5!!! I've had 20tons of lime put on 6 acres!!!! Hope that helps! ;D Another one here up for a Jaime fix! easyaspie..........I was wondering about the long term effects of foggage on the grass etc? I suppose if the grass is 'mature' it isn't really growing in October/November as grazed grass will be?? .........just wondering about sugars in sunny/frosty weather in the growing season???........(lami high risk times).
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sundance
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Post by sundance on Jun 19, 2008 18:43:16 GMT 1
Elaine is near to Birmingham airport, and not desperately far from Bristol.
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Post by jen1 on Jun 19, 2008 19:43:28 GMT 1
I was told that acidity creates buttercup heaven - farmers round us who spread lime (even though we are on limetsone) do not have a single buttercup. That's probably it!! My paddocks are/were very acid 5-5.5!!! I've had 20tons of lime put on 6 acres!!!! Hope that helps! ;D Another one here up for a Jaime fix! easyaspie..........I was wondering about the long term effects of foggage on the grass etc? I suppose if the grass is 'mature' it isn't really growing in October/November as grazed grass will be?? .........just wondering about sugars in sunny/frosty weather in the growing season???........(lami high risk times). we kept one field aside for long grass for the winter the horses ate the bulk of it till they came in, and the sheep did a pretty good job of keeping it in good nick for this winter,
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Post by colourfulpony on Jun 19, 2008 20:47:16 GMT 1
whats the minimum size field you need to be using this track system? we only have a couple of acres at home for our two but i may try this out on a small scale
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Post by mandal on Jun 19, 2008 21:25:15 GMT 1
jen1,you Farmers are so lucky!!! Sheep,equipment.....not fair!! Colourfulpony....it can be done on a small area. 2 acres is great. The track is basically a circle and the horses go round and round. It can have curves and bigger areas for gathering. Separate the water from the hay (to encourage more moving) which can be put around the track along with whatever you think your horses need. Just a plain track is enough to encourage more movement and cut down on the green stuff.
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rummi
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Post by rummi on Jun 19, 2008 21:32:10 GMT 1
I have a simple 12-15ft wide corridor around the outside of my 2.5 acre field for my 2 boys, I'd love to add different surfaces but my YO won't let me! If nothing else, they have limited grass and keep moving! In the winter, I just gradually move in the fence and they eat down the central part. They live out 24/7 and didn't need any hay last year!
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Post by Catrin on Jun 19, 2008 21:59:54 GMT 1
That's interesting about the buttercups Catrin........after the problems we had last year on my sisters lake shore field she bought a state of the art soil test kit and also tested my paddocks. The one full of buttercups is the one with high nitrogen! ... As my husband also noted, when did you last see farmers spreading lime. It was at least 30 years since we could remember. Lime was spread regularly, to neutralise the soil as buttercups thrive in an acid environment.
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Post by barbararob on Jun 19, 2008 22:15:15 GMT 1
Farmers round us spread lime every couple of years - there's a bloke who travels round with a unimog and a spreader. The lime gets delivered by the lorry load and he then spreads. The field next to ours was done last year and he has no buttercups....he also has no horses!!!
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Post by theoldgreymare on Jun 19, 2008 22:18:19 GMT 1
This system is great! My friend who looks after my Welshie and her H57 fattie says the ponies are on the move much more that they have ever been when they are on the track. Her TB mare. who needs more grass, grazes the middle section at night, so it won't be completely sustainable for the winter, but we will have slim, fitter ponies this summer!
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Post by Susan on Jun 19, 2008 22:40:18 GMT 1
I can do something similar within my paddock as rummi has done and that way always have the water trough inside of it but he will have to move to it.. and that wont hurt him. I may have to get some more fencing posts and some fencing but a grteat idea of the twising corridor affect..
So to the buttercup thing.. are you saying it lacks lime that is why we have so many.
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Post by jen1 on Jun 19, 2008 22:46:30 GMT 1
ive all ready made this into a seprate thread thought you might be intersted, we still have about another mile of track to put in , we will be doing a grass track too, its going to take ages to complete, the big barn you can see in the pic will be used for stables for those who want them, and part of the smaller side of the new building will be used at a communail scoffing and resting spot, in about 5 weeks time we are building our foot bath and sand pit, and taking water pipes upto the other end of the farm so we can make a watering hole,
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Post by jen1 on Jun 19, 2008 22:47:16 GMT 1
o yes sorry click on the pic, its a slide show in the making for something else so my sons appear in it too,
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emi
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Post by emi on Jun 19, 2008 23:08:49 GMT 1
This is definitely one of the benefits of having your own lad! The most we're allowed to do is section off a part of Connor's large field for a starvation paddock, but if I ever get lucky enough to have my own place or a very flexible yard owner in a small yard, I would most certainly consider this, it looks fab.
It does remind me though that I keep meaning to put some large twigs /branches in Connor's field for chewing on. Any other thoughts as to how I can make it better appreciated!
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Post by colourfulpony on Jun 20, 2008 11:58:42 GMT 1
oooh, glad to hear we have enough land then the horses are currently at livery while we get the field sorted so when they get back at the end of summer hopefully they'll have a nice track to come back to! the only thing i worry about is that in summer my mare is a good-doer who could live off nothing but come winter she needs tonnes of feed to keep weight on. Rummi - in the winter when you move the fence gradually inwards, do they eventually end up having the whole field?
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jinglejoys
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Post by jinglejoys on Jun 20, 2008 13:05:04 GMT 1
Maybe the Moderators could make this a sticky thread?It's a very interesting one
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