Carry on strip grazing or open remainder?

MrA

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Feb 8, 2012
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Ale has a patch of grass about the size of a tennis court to still eat down. I move the fence every evening.

I'm starting to feel bad though as his field is very bald and I see him grazing less now. He's still pooping alot and I give him a little hay Am buy I'm thinking about just opening the remainder and letting him eat it down? Is it still a lammi risk or not as bad now? I don't have to do the whole thing could just do half...
 
Ale has a patch of grass about the size of a tennis court to still eat down. I move the fence every evening.

I'm starting to feel bad though as his field is very bald and I see him grazing less now. He's still pooping alot and I give him a little hay Am buy I'm thinking about just opening the remainder and letting him eat it down? Is it still a lammi risk or not as bad now? I don't have to do the whole thing could just do half...
Be careful, lammi is always a risk in prone ponies/horses, especially when we get a frost followed by bright cold sunshine.
Belle poor girl is strip grazed all year round, mostly because if I don't she would come out of winter fatter than she went in to it, which would make it harder and harder each year to reduce her weight. You could try opening it all up and keeping an eye on him/his weight, but I personally wouldn't risk it myself.
 
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Its mostly too cold for grass to grow now so we're out of the flush but frost can stress grass and increase sugars, mine got a new patch today, about 3M x 10M, which will keep them going for a few days, I'm still haying, especially if its frosty out.
 
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I am still doing a strip at a time. My trimmer came yesterday and I asked him about opening up the field. He said he thought the risk was low at the moment, but why risk everything achieved over a summer of careful management by throwing grass at him (Ziggy, not my trimmer)? I have to agree...
 
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You are all right! Thank-you this is why I ask things on here because I always get a good and thoughtful answer.

Will continue with the strip grazing!
 
I would continue to strip graze. I have a tennis court size left on my field for each of mine. With me moving it a bit each day. I reckon it's enough for mine to last for another 2 weeks. I guess it does depend on the length/thickness of the ungrazed area. Although the rest of the field mine are on isn't bald like yours.
Mine aren't having hay yet. I know you've posted before about the amount of poo but I use it as a measure of if I give a larger strip of grass there is more poo. But I think the more poo and especially piles it means the bowels and body are working efficiently.
 
Thank-you. Ale is still doing plenty of poop even though it looks like there is nothing for him to eat in the field but he must be grazing. He gets half a section of hay AM and then PM I move the fence so he gets a small amount of long grass.

Once he has grazed the remainder down I will be opening up the field next door with any luck, this area has been grazed recently but has grown a little so will give him something to nibble for a while
 
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I had to open up my back field today...I was hoping to hold off for a good while yet but we had that much rain last week that my track is starting to resemble a scrambler course:eek: I dont want it completely ruined...I didn't open it until after 12 noon so they will have about 4 hrs on it...i am really hoping they don't gorge...I can't strip graze as it would end up a mud bath..This will be me worrying now for a couple of days...:rolleyes:
 
Tess has been on our winter fields for 6 weeks now, Nuts joined her a couple of weeks back and Acorn last week, we have taken the plunge and Charlie was let through last night, any supplimentry hay has been with drawn and the maintenance feed reduced just to allow suppliments to be fed. both Acorn and Nuts are lammi risk, Acorn has coped well for the week and no pre lammi indicators, if there had been he would have had to go back into restricted and Charlie would not have been let through- we will now monitor Charlie Carefully, any little sign and he will come straight out - but its very early days ...........
 
Tess has been on our winter fields for 6 weeks now, Nuts joined her a couple of weeks back and Acorn last week, we have taken the plunge and Charlie was let through last night, any supplimentry hay has been with drawn and the maintenance feed reduced just to allow suppliments to be fed. both Acorn and Nuts are lammi risk, Acorn has coped well for the week and no pre lammi indicators, if there had been he would have had to go back into restricted and Charlie would not have been let through- we will now monitor Charlie Carefully, any little sign and he will come straight out - but its very early days ...........

I know its worrying isn't it, my little old man has cushings and prone to lammi so its always a worry when i let him have more grass, but so far its all been going well..
 
well a couple of days in and so far so good, it has been torrential rain and the summer fields are flooded so its as well Charlie was let on the hill field with the others, they are all getting plenty of exercise running around as Charlie learns his place in the herd - but as you say Joellie - you can't help but worry :)
 
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I opened up the little square of winter grazing my boys have been strip grazing at the weekend. Peds came in with a filthy tail and runny bum! Back to strip grazing. I'm going to strip graze the whole thing now rather than give them a paddock sized field. They should be off the summer grazing totally by the first or second weekend in Dec. I'm only having when there is a thick frost as it's a lami risk and then I just fluff up one Haynet into three piles. I really should decrease his over night hay by 1/2 a net if I do that though.
 
Ale will be on his last section tonight, so that's the whole 3/4 of an acre grazed down. gateway is quite muddy as he likes to stand and poop in that corner, I'm going to speak to the girls today as I want to give him more room now and I'm sure they will be okay with this, just a question of how big and where. Rest of the field is in good condition to be honest and dry which is the most important part.
 
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