What to do with this paddock?

[WhatToDo]

We have recently bought a house and with the house came a rented field (1acre). We have taken over the rent and have been told by the agent that we need to be seen to be doing something with the field.
The field is being topped in a couple of weeks
The previous owner has told me that sheep struggle on the field because of the flies and sheep have been removed in the past during summer - assume the flies are because of all the trees/hedges
The field has mole hills, docks, patches of reeds and isn't flat (not a gentle gradient in places)
If the field isn't suitable for sheep then suppose I could put geese on but grass needs to be short.
Is the best option to rely on someone to come and top regularly? is there a way of us doing it ourselves with a ride-on? would a ride on even manage it with the lumps & bumps? I don't want to be a burden to someone but obviously would pay anyone who would come. how often would it need topping? twice a year?
ATV/Flail option is just too expensive at the moment due to the house being a renovation.
We are getting hens which will be free ranging but could do with looking at a long term option for grass management.
any advice would be appreciated.
Gemma

 

[Yale]

Sheep would be fine on there if you can be bothered with them.A bit of Clik will keep the maggot off them.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Hi, and welcome

Maybe (if you can track down a local contractor/farmer) take a cut of hay of it, which would mean your immediate issue (all that grass) is gone!
If it's got a good fence, I'd be tempted to stock it, as Yale said.

It does depend what you want to do with it, an ideal solution would maybe be let someone handy run their mob onto it and graze it as part of their round, rather than tie your money up in livestock (you can always do this later), but grazing it off periodically will be better for your field than most things.
That way any issues (flies, losses, illness for example) won't cost you, either.

A contractor's mower is great for doing a spot of levelling! Most of them around here would mow, bale, and take it away, and probably know who your farming neighbours are (and who to avoid, if any).

 

[Yale]

As Pete says,maybe crop it first.

Any local farmers you could literally give the grass away to for hay or silage to clear the ground and let the proverbial ‘ dog see the rabbit ‘.

 

[WhatToDo]

The problem with it being rented is that they have already told us we cannot sub-let. If we don't take any money, which I wouldn't, are we going to upset the letting agent? I can see if anyone wants to take what is there now.

The person who had the sheep on before doesn't want to put them back on as they said the flies were that bad that they just laid down all the time and put their heads on the floor. they didn't have strike just obviously bothered by the sheer amount of flies.

Would feather be an easier option? Geese? I have been told 2 geese will graze as much grass as 1 sheep - Don't know how true this is!

 

[Wooly]

If it is only one acre just get it topped with a flail mower.

I do someone’s each year. Pictures before and after.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

cut it and bale it

 

[Northeastfarmer]

cut it and bale it

You’ll give him £80/T for it?

 

[Wooly]

cut it and bale it

ONE acre. !!!

I’m sure there will be people queuing up for that job !??

 

[Ysgythan]

We have recently bought a house and with the house came a rented field (1acre). We have taken over the rent and have been told by the agent that we need to be seen to be doing something with the field.
The field is being topped in a couple of weeks
The previous owner has told me that sheep struggle on the field because of the flies and sheep have been removed in the past during summer - assume the flies are because of all the trees/hedges
The field has mole hills, docks, patches of reeds and isn't flat (not a gentle gradient in places)
If the field isn't suitable for sheep then suppose I could put geese on but grass needs to be short.
Is the best option to rely on someone to come and top regularly? is there a way of us doing it ourselves with a ride-on? would a ride on even manage it with the lumps & bumps? I don't want to be a burden to someone but obviously would pay anyone who would come. how often would it need topping? twice a year?
ATV/Flail option is just too expensive at the moment due to the house being a renovation.
We are getting hens which will be free ranging but could do with looking at a long term option for grass management.
any advice would be appreciated.
Gemma

There’ll be a local farmer with about 20 mature sheep that can run over it for a few weeks to a month picking out what they want and flattening most of the rest. It’ll grow back green. You’ll need to graze it periodically then. There’s little point getting your own sheep for that much as there will either be too many or too few of them on any given day. Goats escape. Pigs make too much mess. Cattle wreck fences. Horses wreck the land.

 

[AndrewM]

Why do you want to rent the field?

 

[beardface]

Buy it and turn it into a glamping site be much more profitable than any other option

 

[steveR]

Why do you want to rent the field?

Totally agree. If the OP doesn't actually want the grazing... get shot, it's just a liablity that will cost money!

1ac of chickens is a lot of chickens!!!

The field has mole hills, docks, patches of reeds and isn't flat (not a gentle gradient in places)

No one will want to mow and bale an acre of this stuff... although maybe last year someone might have I suppose Flail as Wooly suggests is going to be 40-50 quid, but will make it more acceptable.

 

[steveR]

ONE acre. !!!

I’m sure there will be people queuing up for that job !??

IME it is only mugs like me who have that sort of job.... Then the "customer" moans it's not the same rate/bale as Mr Contractor charged the neighbour for 250 round bales last week....