Simply Sheep

[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.

 

[Beekissed]

Sheep sneaked into the shed and knocked over two different feed buckets, getting the lids off and gorging on sweet feed and also some deer pellets. The next morning they had some bad bellyaches and Rose was rather sore on her back feet.

Gave her some baking soda and water in a bolus and gave them free choice baking soda...which they never touched.

Both seem to be doing better as of yesterday evening, though poops still look a little soft and green.

Got a feed can they can't knock over nor get the lid off of, and only time will tell how this will effect them. Both are back to nibbling graze and Rose, the one in worse shape, was even back in the shed looking for more stolen goodies.

Sheep! Ain't sheepin' fun?

 

[Mini Horses]

Yeah, those parts of WV are too hilly for a lot of crops. At least the smaller areas of "flat & tillable" are not profitable. But, cattle, sheep, goats, & pigs can do ok.

I know goats spend their days making us crazy, guess sheep do too! Glad they are improving. Goats have been proven to be great "problem solvers" to get into where they want and we don't want them. They also have awesome retention of the way to do it!! Always felt sheep were less apt to be trouble.

Wish you could get some of these deer around here. Any early morn or dusk you can see them in actual herds...not all that spooky either. 12-20 in a group not unusual. Generally there are large quotas so hunters can help thin them out. As to damage, so many crops around that the farmers are all "sharing" and not excessive loss to one due to that BUT -- backyard gardeners aren't so happy. Deer like variety in their diet

We also have large numbers of wild turkey in my area.

 

[Beekissed]

The sheep are back to normal now, nice pellets coming out the south end and only grass and loose minerals in the other. Will be building feed pans into/onto the milking stanchions soon and will use a little feed for training in those the rest of the year...but just a little.

Will add alfalfa pellets to that feed before breeding season, but not much...right now it's a mix of sweet feed, oats, and BOSS. A little alfalfa will round that right out.

Got a sulfur block this weekend...read a lot about the pros and cons of it, so will report any results~good or bad~I notice.

Here's a little blurb about using kelp for sheep...that's my loose minerals for the sheep, sea kelp and coarse salt mix. Used it for my last sheep and milk cow and it seemed to work well. Didn't see worms expelled like they describe here but it seemed to keep them healthy and fat.

https://www.ironwoodfarmswv.com/sheep-blog/seaweed-sheep-food

 

[Mini Horses]

Interesting. Possible that your sheep did not have the same worm loads as there's, not that the kelp didn't "work" as it did for them.

I feed my goats oats, BOSS, steamed flaked barley, alf pellets & hay...milking goats get, pasture ornaments less of some. Kidding time, the anti is raised. Like all, adjustments are needed and done. And pasture availability changes with seasons. A good grass hay is used, little alf added or in the mix already, for winter and rainy days.

 

[wyoDreamer]

@Beekissed I totally get how you came up with those names now.

My first husky was named Siska. My thinking process: Sitka was the first capitol of Alaska and this was my first husky; but she was a little bit afraid of men, so she was a sissy - ergo; she was a Siska.

 

[Mini Horses]

I have goats -- I find that MANY things are not permanent, even if you thought it would be... Goats redefine "permanent"

 

[Beekissed]

What kind of fencing will you use?

Part of the fencing will be from those huge pallets...those will be set back into the woods so they can get plenty of browse. The front of the fencing will be woven wire, and wood posts we will cut here on the land.

 

[baymule]

Here if you cut pine in the fall, it is full of sap that is going to the roots for the winter. The sap crystalizes and preserves the wood. We call it lighter pine because it is a good fire starter. It also makes good fence posts and will last for years.

 

[Beekissed]

The sheep meet the new pup...he's scrawny looking and came from a bad place with very poor care, so he's being nursed back to health.