Field (agriculture)

Paddock

In Australian and New Zealand English, any agricultural field may be called a paddock, especially if for keeping sheep or cattle. If stock are grazed there, the space may be called a run, e.g. sheep run; cattle run. The term paddock is used more specifically in animal husbandry for a system in which grazing land is divided into small areas, paddocks, and the stock graze each paddock in turn for a short period. Paddock grazing systems may be designed with, for example, 6 or 11 paddocks used in rotation.

A paddock is normally fenced, usually by wire, and often defined by its natural boundaries, or is otherwise considered distinct. A back paddock is a smaller field that is situated away from the farm house; possibly land of lesser quality. The equivalent concept in North America and the UK is a pasture.

In Australia, the word seems to have had its current meaning since at least 1807 and in New Zealand since at least 1842. However, the English meaning of "field" was used earlier in Australia and is still occasionally used. Similarly, meadow was in early use and has appeared later, for example, in 2004. Field remains in regular use in Australasia in expressions such as football field, Field Day and field trip.

In a new style of intensive farming developed in North America, a paddock is a small (perhaps 1 acre) temporary subdivision of a pasture made with electric fencing, which is intensely grazed for a day and then left to rest for perhaps 80 days or more.

Image gallery

File:Cows in green field - nullamunjie olive grove.jpg|A green field or paddock with Hereford cattle File:Field Hamois Belgium Luc Viatour.jpg|A summer field File:Spring fields Mallorca.jpg|Spring fields with trees, Majorca, Spain, 2004 File:2016 Pornainen 27.jpg|A combine harvester on the field, Pornainen, Finland, 2016 File:Moforlogiaagrária.jpg|Sown fields in an open field system of farming File:Vincent Willem van Gogh 041.jpg|Wheat Field Under Clouded Sky by Vincent van Gogh, July 1890 File:Paddy field of near Gingee Fort.jpg|Paddy field

References

References

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