Simply Sheep

[Beekissed]

TY! That's the word I was looking for. Meaning, it's grass land with selected trees growing... Can you tell some of the "stacked" benefits of this method, instead of just pasture. My thought process is: Sunlight = energy. So... full sun = faster grass growth. But... tree cover and resulting shade may help with water retention?

Pretty much. The tree cover helps retain moisture and provides more habitat for wildlife and insect life, and the cleared areas do the same for wild game that need low growing food supplies. It's the opposite of monoculture in a forest setting. More diversity means better soil health, which benefits all species. So, instead of a farm animal taking over habitat for wild animals, they are living within that habitat and even improving on it.

And,you are correct, the trees help retain moisture, the increased web of life within the soil structure does the same, so in drought years there are still adequate food supplies for all animals within that system. When used correctly, the farm animals are not left in the silvopasture but are moved through it and it's left to rest, just like the rest of the pasture, for 30-60 day periods and even longer in more brittle environments.

 

[Beekissed]

Working on fence today and God gave us a spectacular day for it!!! Hallelujah to the King! Should complete this paddock today and that will give us a rest on fencing until towards fall/winter when we fence in the back of the land.

Also will devise a bale roller today, just a temporary measure until we can build a proper one.

The sheep are eating down brush in B paddock, back where it's shady and cool, with plenty of wonderful things to eat, trees to rub on, fresh water and ready minerals. Almost time to move them onto clover and browse combo again, which they will love even more.

 

[Beekissed]

A few pics showing how well these hair sheep eat brush. When most folks mention getting animals to eat brush, they always mention goats but I don't think they realize their are other good options.

This tree line is ordinarily a solid wall of greenery, from top to bottom. After the sheep are in that paddock, you can see the difference in a big way. All that's left clinging to the stems and branches are tiny leaves.

A few pics of the flock grazing in a temp paddock next to a neighbor's field. What's amazing is the shoulder height (to a sheep) grass behind that single line of hot wire and that no sheep dare cross it to get to that field.

One of the twins, will be 3 mo. old in July. Time flies!

And Blue, the faithful sheep dog. We give him large bones for each paddock so that when he gets there he'll have something to do while he's just lying around watching sheep.

 

[flowerbug]

A few pics showing how well these hair sheep eat brush. When most folks mention getting animals to eat brush, they always mention goats but I don't think they realize their are other good options.

This tree line is ordinarily a solid wall of greenery, from top to bottom. After the sheep are in that paddock, you can see the difference in a big way. All that's left clinging to the stems and branches are tiny leaves.

View attachment 14204

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A few pics of the flock grazing in a temp paddock next to a neighbor's field. What's amazing is the shoulder height (to a sheep) grass behind that single line of hot wire and that no sheep dare cross it to get to that field.

View attachment 14203

One of the twins, will be 3 mo. old in July. Time flies!

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And Blue, the faithful sheep dog. We give him large bones for each paddock so that when he gets there he'll have something to do while he's just lying around watching sheep.

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once they learn the routine and know that you'll come along to move them they can be content to deal with what is in front of them.

 

[baymule]

That's what my sheep did to the green briars and trees too. They ate up as far as they could. The green briars were so thick that we didn't even know where to start. After the sheep chewed their way up 4 or 5 feet, we could see where to start chopping.

Oh how I love all that beautiful grass you have! Good work!

 

[Beekissed]

That's what my sheep did to the green briars and trees too. They ate up as far as they could. The green briars were so thick that we didn't even know where to start. After the sheep chewed their way up 4 or 5 feet, we could see where to start chopping.

Oh how I love all that beautiful grass you have! Good work!

Bay, that grass is not my doing, so I can't take any credit. That eating the brush back until we could reach in and coppice some of the overgrown briers and shrubs is going to be invaluable. We are going to start using the sheep as the tool they are for that kind of thing.

 

[CrealCritter]

We cleared an area on the property line that goes from the house to the sheep barn. It was regrowth trees (like 5 or 6 growing out of a long ago rotted stump) and green briars-LOTS of green briars. The sheep ate a lot of the regrowth, but not enough to kill it back. We chopped off the stems with machetes and machete chopped the green briars that attempted to grow back.

there is a lot of regrowth in the horse pasture behind the horse bars where we had it forestry mulched last summer. I have grazed the sheep in there, but now it is so dry that their sharp hooves would dig up the bahia grass that is coming up and struggling to survive. if we get a good rain, I'll run them back in there. I see us hacking away with machetes next winter. LOL

I don't think I'll come help this winter. Just the thought of you with machete is enough to scare the bejesus right out of me.

 

[baymule]

I don't think I'll come help this winter. Just the thought of you with machete is enough to scare the bejesus right out of me.

My Daddy showed me how to use a bastard file to sharpen the hoes and shovels. It works great for machetes too! BWA-HA-HA-HA!!!

 

[CrealCritter]

My Daddy showed me how to use a bastard file to sharpen the hoes and shovels. It works great for machetes too! BWA-HA-HA-HA!!!

And here I thought I was the only one that sharpens shovels. Good on you, just watch your feet.

 

[Beekissed]

Don't know if I posted pics of this, but this is our water/mineral/tools/dog food/misc. wagon we use as we move sheep from paddock to paddock. They stay in each paddock anywhere from 2-4 days at a time, so we needed something versatile and portable. We are still working on it, so it's a work in progress.