Use of Pastures by Brown Hares

SUMMARY The study area is a mixed farm covering 7 km2 of arable land in north-west Hampshire. Some 67% of the ground is given over to the cereals, wheat and barley, most of which is winter sown. The remainder is grass, some of which is sown as perennial rye grass leys for seed in the first year and subsequently used as pastures for pig breeding (10% of total ground); other leys which may contain grass mixtures with clover are mainly undersown and used primarily as pasture for single suckle beef cattle and sheep. Only a small area consisted of smal fields of permanent pasture (6To oftotal area). Some turnip and kale was sown into stubble as winter fodder for sheep and cattle.