The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: OhLaLa on October 26, 2010, 01:44:40 pm
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Not many girls in our large field so our grass is almost as tall as the ewes, they don't seem to have made a dent in it. They do eat it and seem to scoff 'weeds' readily (except the patches I really want rid of). It was topped early summer and grew well so it is a grassy jungle out there. Is the grass too long for them (not much I can do about it now)?
We have had frosts (Southern UK) - so as the grass nutrient level down, I don't need to give hard feed as well do I (they have a mineral lick in their shelter)?
Also - as the field is so large, how often should I move them on into another field (which is the same size except it was topped late summer so grass not so tall)?
:sheep: :dunce:
Thanks for the help chaps!!
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do you strip graze at all?
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Good question, but no, and for various reasons won't be doing so unless I can do it on a budget of practically zero!
:-\
:sheep:
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can you not borrow a few stakes an energizer and tape then strip graze 10 mtrs a week or some thing if you got lots of grass get them to eat it in small bits at a time then it will all go by the next season will how big an area have you got being grazed atm?
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Yes I can do that - hadn't considered it as I thought they'd just walk right through a tape partition. Mind you, the grass is so long not sure how high the bottom tape will be, but will give it a go.
Thanks for that, appreciated. :-*
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Strim or scythe a line for the fence or it will earth on the grass.
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Strim or scythe a line for the fence or it will earth on the grass.
just what i was going to say or even get a lawnmower and 1 strip then put to strands of fence that should stop them just make sure you got good leccy to it like fully charged battery
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Definitely electric fencing the way to go. We find concentrating the grazing makes the grass grow back so much better too in the summer.
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We do this too. We've divided our large bottom field into a series of small paddocks and move them every couple of days. It means they eat up what they've got and are so happy to move - they queue up at the gate when they see me coming!