Author Topic: overgrown wood clearance (Read 7035 times)

tobytoby · « **on:** July 13, 2011, 03:58:24 pm »

I am in the process of buying 3 acres of mature woodland + 3 acres grass paddocks, with tree spacings around 10-15m. It has not been grazed for around 3 years, odd brambles/docks etc, but the grass is over 3 feet in places, and in spring covered in bluebells.It took me 3 hours on Saturday to cut a path 4' wide with a Scag mower approx 300m long?
My query is - i have a source for Jacobs sheep, would they be able to eat down the overgrown grass and bring it back to a manageable height to cut with a scag? Is there a rule of thumb stocking level per acre if they were left there all year, with possibly some rotation on the paddocks?

I am also planning on running pigs free range on the wood bankings, which will clear the scrub from there + 2 pet pygmy goats ?

Many thanks

HappyHippy · « **Reply #1 on:** July 13, 2011, 04:22:27 pm »

I can't answer the sheep question I'm afraid

but the shepherds will be along soon

Your goats may not be too happy sharing with pigs though - unless they've got a big area (or are Kune Kunes) the pigs will root up all the grass and not leave much for the goats to eat.
Another thing when considering pigs with sheep/goats is the need to vaccinate the pigs for clostridium (using lamivac) as it can cause sudden death if contracted.
HTH
Karen

deepinthewoods · « **Reply #2 on:** July 13, 2011, 05:29:07 pm »

check 4 laurel first.

lachlanandmarcus · « **Reply #3 on:** July 13, 2011, 06:44:33 pm »

and check for yew too (poisonous).

only advice I can offer is that our sheep were turned into a small paddock which had grass of about 3 foot high, and in 2 weeks they have done a pretty good job on it, there are only odd single stalks left. But these are Shetlands, the more browse-y the vegetation the better the primitive types like it. A texel might faint with horror.

From past experience it works best if they are (i) hungry! and (ii) folded tightly (ie slightly overstocked and then the fences moved as they finish one area, rather than letting them just have the whole lot when they will just eat the sweet morsels and then eat the same bits again as they regrow and leave all the stuff you would really like them to eat.

So would recommend the Jacobs for the job, I would maybe start with about 10? and invest in some moveable electric fence to allow you to fold them if you have the time to do that. If not then let them have it all but it might not produce such good results. Would you be taking hay from some of the fields for their winter feed? there wont be much grass in the winter for them.

Anke · « **Reply #4 on:** July 13, 2011, 09:13:28 pm »

Bluebells (and other bulbs plus their leaves) are poisonous to goats at least, I presume also to sheep. Will need careful management, as goats will (in winter possibly sheep too) ring-bark the trees unless they are very mature (the trees that is).

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #5 on:** July 14, 2011, 11:21:36 am »

Cattle will do a better and quicker job clearing long grass if you can find a local farmer would like the use of the grazing for a few months.

I would be open about the bluebells. Adult cattle would be wise enough to avoid but a farmer is most likely to want to put a handful of stirks or heifers on and s/he will know whether they would be ok with the bluebells and also when the foliage will have died down and not be a problem in your area.

Once you've got it manageable then the usual rule of thumb (but it so depends on where you are, the climate, the kind of pasture, the breed of sheep, etc) is 5 lowland or 6-8 hill sheep per acre. Which I think assumes you have some other ground on which you are making their hay / silage for winter, so reduce it if you want a crop off as well.

HTH
Sally x

princesspiggy · « **Reply #6 on:** July 14, 2011, 08:25:51 pm »

it sounds like us 6 years ago!! we couldnt even walk the dog cos it was so overgrown here. animals make an enormous difference. wev got pigs, cattle, sheep and ponies and they all help in their own way. it will take longer than u think unless u can blitz it with manpower and machines. geese were useful at the beginning cos they eat a suprising amount of grass. the problem we had with sheep was brambles getting caught in their fleece which was painful for all concerned so now we only have sheep in grass paddocks, especially as the poorer scrub didnt keep their weight on, (even tho they were natives)
dont be daunted, if something doesnt work just change it and try again, good luck

YorkshireLass · « **Reply #7 on:** July 17, 2011, 07:51:21 pm »

Do you want to keep the trees?
Primitives (my main experience being Hebrideans) will gleefully strip the bark and take out your trees as well as your grasses - goats I believe also browse? Cattle browse a bit but love scratching posts.......
If you're not looking for a meat animal, conservation graziers sometimes use native ponies in woodland....

princesspiggy · « **Reply #8 on:** July 18, 2011, 07:25:33 am »

Quote from: YorkshireLass on July 17, 2011, 07:51:21 pm

If you're not looking for a meat animal, conservation graziers sometimes use native ponies in woodland....

and they will definitely strip ur bark...

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #9 on:** July 18, 2011, 09:52:59 am »

Quote from: princesspiggy on July 18, 2011, 07:25:33 am

Quote from: YorkshireLass on July 17, 2011, 07:51:21 pm
If you're not looking for a meat animal, conservation graziers sometimes use native ponies in woodland....

and they will definitely strip ur bark...

I can confirm that Fells will!

They'll eat pretty much anything (provided there isn't too much good grass to go at) and will eat fence posts and rails as well as trees. Bless 'em