Hedge destruction.

Hi Sn

I have recently noticed that a local farmer has had a picket fence hedge built all along the line of the edge of his field where it meets a local A road, and although that involved removing some parts of the overgrown original hedge, the new fence seems to have been built with parts of the original hedge material.

I think that farmers are making sure that hedges are trimmed before the beginning of March because they can't be trimmed again until after the end of July

"Hedge protection
Government policy has come full circle in the last 30 years. Past grants to remove hedges have
been replaced by management conditions for hedges in order to receive payments under the
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). So called ’Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions’
(GAEC), in England, require you must not:
• Cultivate or apply fertilisers, dredgings, slurry, manures or pesticides to land within 2 metres
of the centre of a hedge; a similar condition applies in Scotland
• Remove a hedge unless you have met all the requirements of the Hedgerows Regulations
199722; similar conditions apply elsewhere in the UK
• Cut or trim any hedgerow on your farm between 1 March and 31 July each year (the main
breeding season for birds); and similarly elsewhere in the UK."

Hi silent night,it may not be destruction of hedges as you see it at the moment as you do not say how tall the hedges were before but farmers need to keep hedges trimmed regularly every one or two years and this will keep them thick which in turn provides the most suitable breeding places for birds and if a hedge had been let get badly overgrown by say previous owner then present owner has little choice but to flail it lower just that once.

The farm payments almost always if farmers participate which is voluntary mean that they cut a hedge every 2nd year so that the berries are left in winter for birds.  

I know hedges have to be kept under control, but there is a happy medium,

the hedges i mentioned, were at least 10ft tall, and they have been cut right down

to the bare stumps, it will take years for them to recover, i will post a few pics later,

to give an idea what im on about, its no wonder that farmland birds are in decline.

Unknown said:

I know hedges have to be kept under control, but there is a happy medium,

the hedges i mentioned, were at least 10ft tall, and they have been cut right down

to the bare stumps, it will take years for them to recover, i will post a few pics later,

to give an idea what im on about, its no wonder that farmland birds are in decline.

 

Perhaps a lot of farmland birds have gone to the gardens where one in every two people feed them,as a retired farmer can tell you hedges more than10ft high are not much use to farmland birds except Wood Pigeons which ironically are increasing rapidly.Take some pics in June 2011 and June 2012. 

It sounds like it may have been laid - which is one of the best things that can be done to a hedge for wildlife. I know it looks bad but laying a hedge encourages it to bush out and also creates an effective barrier for the farm animals.

I can't see any other reason for it.  Famers do rip hedges out to make fields larger but I don't know of any who would just damage a hedge for no reason.  Its would cost money to do that and most of them are pretty tight! 

My best guess is its either for livestock control or to get more points towards there HLS (Higer level scheme) which they have probably be told to do,

Best wishes

Stoat 

Unknown said:

It sounds like it may have been laid - which is one of the best things that can be done to a hedge for wildlife. I know it looks bad but laying a hedge encourages it to bush out and also creates an effective barrier for the farm animals.

 

I can't see any other reason for it.  Famers do rip hedges out to make fields larger but I don't know of any who would just damage a hedge for no reason.  Its would cost money to do that and most of them are pretty tight! 

My best guess is its either for livestock control or to get more points towards there HLS (Higer level scheme) which they have probably be told to do,

 

Best wishes

 

Stoat 

Can guarantee that if it was just bashed down it could not count towards HLS,only cutting hedge every 2 years goes towards that.  

Unknown said:

Maybe if the OP could look at this link

http://www.hazelwattle.com/hedgelaying.html

Got to admit when its done it looks a bit drastic.

Hope it was this and not the destruction of the hedge as reported.

 Chris S.

Sorry wasn't very clear above.   I think hedge laying qualifies for HLS points not cutting!  Thats what you get when you try and do a sneaky post at work!  I'm pretty sure I've seen hedge laying on a few HLS agreements.

I would guess it could cost quite a bit more than that.  I've never done it myself but my brother and dad have and though they weren't professionals at it they weren't novices either having been trained at agricultural college and they were doing less than 20 yards a day from what I remember.  Its very hard work - but it must be very satisfying.

 Having said that I think a lot is donw when its quiet on the farm so it gives workers something useful to do.

Best wishes

Stoat

michael s said:

It sounds like it may have been laid - which is one of the best things that can be done to a hedge for wildlife. I know it looks bad but laying a hedge encourages it to bush out and also creates an effective barrier for the farm animals.

 

I can't see any other reason for it.  Famers do rip hedges out to make fields larger but I don't know of any who would just damage a hedge for no reason.  Its would cost money to do that and most of them are pretty tight! 

My best guess is its either for livestock control or to get more points towards there HLS (Higer level scheme) which they have probably be told to do,

 

Best wishes

 

Stoat