options for small hill

ootbitb

I have a 10 acre hill consisting of trees,rock,heather,rushes,gorse and bog. Everything except good grass really. This is not fenced for sheep but is included for area aid.
The rocky nature makes it unsuitable for any vehicle.

Consultant reckons use it or lose it for area aid purposes but I am not inclined to graze cattle there as growth rate would be negligible.

49801

ootbitb wrote: »

I have a 10 acre hill consisting of trees,rock,heather,rushes,gorse and bog. Everything except good grass really. This is not fenced for sheep but is included for area aid.
The rocky nature makes it unsuitable for any vehicle.

Consultant reckons use it or lose it for area aid purposes but I am not inclined to graze cattle there as growth rate would be negligible.

Sounds like the Consultant is right to me. If you dont use it you'll loose payment.
Dexters?

Farmer Pudsey

Hate to say it but forrestry

Username John

ootbitb wrote: »

I have a 10 acre hill consisting of trees,rock,heather,rushes,gorse and bog. Everything except good grass really. This is not fenced for sheep but is included for area aid.
The rocky nature makes it unsuitable for any vehicle.

Consultant reckons use it or lose it for area aid purposes but I am not inclined to graze cattle there as growth rate would be negligible.

Whats the main aim here?

If its to make money from it - then prob forestry as Pudsey said.

Re the "use it or lose it" comment - does this mean it has to show its being used in the event of an inspection?

If so, could you out-winter some few cattle there for a while? It might clean it up a bit? If its accessible to put a bale there, on a rock, then it sounds like it might be a good enough place to out-winter some hardy cattle? But not have to put up with poor thrive during the summer?

grange mac

Get in a track machine for a few days, do a bit of clearing. Would be well worth it if you can at all. I have a bit of "high" ground and I got in a machine to do a but of scrub clearing where you could now drive a tractor. Once the scrub is cleared heap it up & let it rot...it will give the ground a chance to grow some grass...trust me comes in handy if stuck to winter some bullocks as with rock underneath they cant do any damage to it...rather than cutting up your good ground.

Only thing is tell machine driver "dont be too fussy" as he could go mad rockbreaking etc leaving you with a lovely bill:D

ootbitb

strange thing is this hill wasn't too overgrown til REPS came along twenty years ago and ordered me off for the winter. Prior to that it was a fine place to winter bullocks.

REPS is nearly over so was thinking wintering couple of cows but what breed?

Would need to be easy calving and hardy as they would only be getting nuts.

moy83

Would a few horses tidy it up a bit better over the winter before putting cattle on it ? They would skin the old grass and you wouldnt have to worry about them thriving the same as bullocks .
I'd say it would be no problem to find someone with a few connemara ponies that would be happy to graze it out over the winter

HillFarmer

ootbitb wrote: »

strange thing is this hill wasn't too overgrown til REPS came along twenty years ago and ordered me off for the winter. Prior to that it was a fine place to winter bullocks.

REPS is nearly over so was thinking wintering couple of cows but what breed?

Would need to be easy calving and hardy as they would only be getting nuts.

A few shorthorn heifers!