The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Land Management => Topic started by: Thyme on July 14, 2015, 09:56:45 am

Title: saving grazing for winter (sheep)
Post by: Thyme on July 14, 2015, 09:56:45 am

How should I best manage a pasture in the summer if I want it to be as much good winter grazing as possible for my sheep?  Is it best to leave it alone entirely until winter, or keep the sheep off it and just top it, or keep it in the grazing rotation until September (or some other appropriate point in the year) and then rest it?  I don't currently have grazing animals other than sheep, and I'm not planning to make hay myself this year.

Thanks for any guidance :thinking:

Title: Re: saving grazing for winter (sheep)
Post by: Marches Farmer on July 14, 2015, 05:44:48 pm

I'm a bit south of you and have found this year that the bottom of the grass has stayed quite fresh rather than dying off, probably due to the stop-start growth pattern.  I'm planning to mob stock two fields where it's fairly long, get it grazed down hard by the end of August then leave it to grow back over the Autumn.  I find the slower growth through Autumn and Winter will give decent quality grazing ready for turnout after lambing, without the risk of grass staggers.

Title: Re: saving grazing for winter (sheep)
Post by: Thyme on July 17, 2015, 07:24:51 pm

Thanks MF, that's helpful.