Pasture needs serious rework, equipment recommendation needed.

Turnip

Active Member
Hi,
So my experience from way back when was farming cereal, sugar beet, and potatoes. So now going back to farming (small scale) after 25 years we hope to end up with some grass land for our horses. The pastures at the property we have an offer accepted on have quite a few docks and other weeds besides grass. Unfortunately the pasture size is 1.5 acres and smaller so I'm thinking I'll receive a good laugh from farmers/contractors I'll ask for help.

I'm thinking of spraying to kill off the weeds and grass, PA1,2,6 should be sorted by then. And preparing a seed bed. Should I use a plow, rotovator, power harrow? I'm going to invest in equipment but rather not buy more than I actually need.

Sorry grass hasn't been my thing so really appreciate the expertise.on here. A

PS another reason for doing this is that I can get a grass mixture in there with low nutritional value, laminitis is a real worry with our two.
 
Welcome allong.
Whereabouts are you? Some on here might be able to point you to the direction of contractors who do smaller scale jobs. I know of a few here on Anglesey specialising in the equine market!

As for equipmet, up to you really.
A small sprayer and a failry good direct drill might be more than enough.
Depends if the fields need leveling or just a re seed?
 
Aberdeenshire, near Huntly/Turriff. Paddocks are reasonably level from what I could see.
 
Have you a tractor or any other equipment at the minute, if so what do you have?
Will be buying a Kioti CK4010 probably, 37hp compact tractor. All out will have to be bought as I have nothing at the moment.
 
Will be buying a Kioti CK4010 probably, 37hp compact tractor. All out will have to be bought as I have nothing at the moment.
I don't know much about them compact tractors or the advantages of them but would you be better buying the likes of a MF35, 135, 240, there is plenty of second hand implements out there that would fit them tractors where as they mightn't fit the compact tractor.
Would killing the grass and giving it a few runs of with discs work
 
@thefarminglad Thanks for the suggestion, hadn't thought of that one. Found someone fairly close by (1hr away) who hires out Blec Cultipack seeders on a day rate.

@FIAT 450 Will knock on the door of the local farmers with a bottle of single malt and see if they have any contacts into vintage ploughing. Should I still look into a rotovator to use after everything is sprayed/killed off if there are no ploughing enthousiasts?
 
@thefarminglad Thanks for the suggestion, hadn't thought of that one. Found someone fairly close by (1hr away) who hires out Blec Cultipack seeders on a day rate.

@FIAT 450 Will knock on the door of the local farmers with a bottle of single malt and see if they have any contacts into vintage ploughing. Should I still look into a rotovator to use after everything is sprayed/killed off if there are no ploughing enthousiasts?
Not sure of your over all ac. Would it pay you to buy so much gear? My thinking would be a fertiliser spreader, small sprayer and a topper maybe
 
The property has about 7 acres, some paddock (about 2.5 acres total), some wooded, and some gorse hillside to a stream. First priority is to have the paddocks productive, i.e. good grass and able to sustain the animals. Tractors main duty will be to ensure we can get hay from local farmer for feed, maintain the paddocks, and help with getting timber from the woodland. For this looking to add a trailer, a roller, and a flail mower, as we already have a harrow and paddock blade. In future there will be more acreage (hopefully also a bit of expansion) turned into paddock, or orchard. With this in mind I'm thinking purchasing a rotovator would make sense, Beckside advertise some which might not be the best but less than £1k so wouldn't expect the best. Got a backpack sprayer but upgrading it to a 200L tractor mounted sprayer sounds really interesting. Plan is to compost the manure and sell it bagged to our local allotments, but having a spreader for our own paddocks would be nice as well.

Lots more on the wishlist, but those things are much harder to justify.

One thing I'm also thinking is the area has quite a few horsey people who could benefit from having someone with this kit in compact form in the area.

This is in no way someone chasing "the good life" as I have lived through how shitty life can be as a farmer, having parents not able to pay for the weekly shop because of failed crops is a vivid memory which only makes me realise how much misery I didn't notice growing up because of them shielding us kids from it. But I do remember the odd gem that makes it all worth while, and just trying to get a bit closer to my roots again.
 
The property has about 7 acres, some paddock (about 2.5 acres total), some wooded, and some gorse hillside to a stream. First priority is to have the paddocks productive, i.e. good grass and able to sustain the animals. Tractors main duty will be to ensure we can get hay from local farmer for feed, maintain the paddocks, and help with getting timber from the woodland. For this looking to add a trailer, a roller, and a flail mower, as we already have a harrow and paddock blade. In future there will be more acreage (hopefully also a bit of expansion) turned into paddock, or orchard. With this in mind I'm thinking purchasing a rotovator would make sense, Beckside advertise some which might not be the best but less than £1k so wouldn't expect the best. Got a backpack sprayer but upgrading it to a 200L tractor mounted sprayer sounds really interesting. Plan is to compost the manure and sell it bagged to our local allotments, but having a spreader for our own paddocks would be nice as well.

Lots more on the wishlist, but those things are much harder to justify.

One thing I'm also thinking is the area has quite a few horsey people who could benefit from having someone with this kit in compact form in the area.

This is in no way someone chasing "the good life" as I have lived through how shitty life can be as a farmer, having parents not able to pay for the weekly shop because of failed crops is a vivid memory which only makes me realise how much misery I didn't notice growing up because of them shielding us kids from it. But I do remember the odd gem that makes it all worth while, and just trying to get a bit closer to my roots again.
On the equipment front I agree with @lough , it would be a worthwhile exercise to look at older Small tractors that might have cat 2 linkages. Those tractors can be easily repaired by an independent mechanic and there is little enough to go wrong in the first place. You will have a much better selection of implements too.

I assume you want to do as much of the work yourself as a lifestyle of sorts? Fair play to you
 
Some of the older tractors can be bomb proof and cheap for parts and easy to repair. The ones suggested in above posts here are ideal.
Dad had an older Fergey, can't remember the number now. Was bomb proof like you said. Then he bought an additional MF3060 which was a piece of crap with the 3pt hitch and the sensors that were integrated in it. The less electronics the better I say so your suggestion of the older tractors is taken to heart.
 
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