[Remy]

We find our dilemma is that our pasture can hold far more sheep in the summer than the winter (duh!).

We currently have 12 adults and 10 lambs, and the grass is getting away from us big time, such that I'd say we probably need 2-3 times the number of mouths to keep it down.

The problem is, that number would be utterly unworkable in the winter and the place would just turn into a quagmire.

Since this is also relevant to the O/P, can I ask what others do to manage this sort of seasonality? It's playing on my mind at the moment, as 5 acres is taking a loooong time to top with a push mower! 

I have a bit more than you - 18 acres - and way more grass than I can cope with in the summer, but I'm lucky in that my dairy farmer neighbour bales some of it and gives me what I need, and keeps the rest.  This saves me the expense of doing it myself!  He will always give me extra if needed as well, or if he is short there is another neighbour I can buy from.

I (and many others I expect) have the same problem of how to manage the summer grass while not overstocking for winter.  Much of my land is too wet to sustain grazing all year and I only have one 7 acre well-drained field which can take a fairly large population without getting too poached, so most of them end up on that over winter along with some horses and are fed haylage once they've eaten the grass down.

I usually send my lambs off to market around October time but last year I didn't have a large amount and kept them over winter with the ewes, and they went off in March - when the ppk is much higher and it was far more profitable!  I'm considering doing that again this year but it would mean finding grazing for 31 lambs so not sure how it's going to work out


PS you need a small tractor with a topper 

[nutterly_uts]

If you email asking for a free one they send you one within a couple of weeks,

Do you have to be in Scotland for the freebie?

[lowlander]

If you email asking for a free one they send you one within a couple of weeks,

Do you have to be in Scotland for the freebie?

Nope - I'm in Yorkshire and mine arrived this morning. Really quick service - all it took was an email. Away tomorrow but will be having a try with it next week. 

[Stereo]

We find our dilemma is that our pasture can hold far more sheep in the summer than the winter (duh!).

We currently have 12 adults and 10 lambs, and the grass is getting away from us big time, such that I'd say we probably need 2-3 times the number of mouths to keep it down.

The problem is, that number would be utterly unworkable in the winter and the place would just turn into a quagmire.

Since this is also relevant to the O/P, can I ask what others do to manage this sort of seasonality? It's playing on my mind at the moment, as 5 acres is taking a loooong time to top with a push mower! 

Most would bale the excess for use in winter. I was reading about a guy the other day who bales paddocks and leaves the bales there (small) in little shelters so in the winter he still rotates but doesn't have to bring a machine out everyday and mess the gateways up, the bales are already in place. Difficult balance I would assume.