Preparing and maintaining a healthy paddock
Preparing and maintaining a healthy paddock for your horses and livestock involves cutting the grass little and often. Aim to chop off a third of the grass length each time, as cutting too short leaves the grass vulnerable to drought, weed and moss infestation. Mow less frequently during very hot dry weather when the grass is stressed, and carefully mow damp or long grass which is more susceptible to damage.
Farm Tech Supplies stock a range of mowers for cutting short grass, overgrown weeds, large fields, sloping verges, level lawns and uneven land. And the good news is, that you don’t even have to own a compact tractor! Our ATV Flail Mower has its own Loncin engine, so you can simply tow it behind any 4×4 vehicle or ATV quad bike.
Farm Tech Supplies also stock a variety of towable ATV attachments including paddock blades, drag harrows and field rollers – all very useful equipment picks for paddock owners when preparing and maintaining a healthy paddock.
Paddock Blade is a tow behind paddock cleaning tool designed to quickly and efficiently clear paddocks of horse, cow, sheep, and alpaca manure, leaving a clean and healthy paddock. It is also great at gathering small rocks, sticks and leaves. The Paddock Blade can be towed with any ATV quad bike, 4×4, compact tractor and ride-on mower. It has no moving parts and doesn’t require maintenance, plus it works on every surface except sand.
Harrowing effectively stimulates new grass growth by aerating the soil and removing old thatch. Harrowing will level molehills, improve drainage (to reduce muddy patches and standing water) and help to spread fertiliser. For the best results, use a Drag Harrow during the springtime and continue through to late autumn to help with the germination of grass and flower seed during the winter months.
Harrowing and rolling go together. Once you have removed old thatch and aerated the field with a drag harrow, a Field Roller is perfect for levelling out a paddock throughout the year or if you are reseeding the land. Avoid rolling during wet conditions as this will compact the soil, it is best to use a field roller when the soil has dried out a little more.
Drag Harrow and Field Roller
For further information on any of the equipment featured, contact our friendly sales team on 01420 520510, or email sales@farmtechsupplies.co.uk.