hi guys i've been following this forum for a good few months now but only just registered to post something which i would be keen to hear thoughts or advice on.
we have about 25 acres of what they call 'aincent woodlands' which is essentially a mix of birch, oak, ash, hazel and other hardwoods that have been left to their own devices for about 50 years and are now in a bit of a state. we are actively putting in access in the form of various rides and tracks and are using a heavy duty flail mower to open up some of the areas that have been overtaken by bramble. we are thinning out and using the timber to make firewood and the thinner stuff we're making charcoal with.
the stuff i am struggling to find a use for though is what i would call 'brash'. the branches and other useless bits that are too small to make anything with, apart from a big bonfire. currently we are just heaping these in areas as we produce the stuff and whilst its good cover for wildlife, with us thinning out and taking control of this 'wild' wood, as you can imagine, there is a fair amount of stuff we are cutting down thats this sort of size.
i am wondering if anyone else has a similar situation where they are producing a lot of this stuff in proportion to timber that can be harvested and what you do with it? i know the ideal scenario is to put it through a big shredder like a doppstadt or willibald but we dont have the cash to do that for little return. similarly to put it through a pto chipper would take bloody ages by hand, not sure how the £££ would stack up if we were to look at a 3pt linkage crane to feed a chipper setup. maybe even thinking of one of them basic shredders like menart do that are tractor towed, pto driven, no discharge conveyor they just whip through the stuff and chuck it on the floor. yes some mechanical investment required but that may be the only option?? at least if its shred it can be composted and resold
is there any market for this type of stuff (brash) to get a return? presuming theres not; whats the easiest way to deal with it so that its not in the way? or to turn it into something marketable?
i look forward to any comments
cheers
