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Author Topic: Lawn sheep  (Read 5243 times)

Bumblebear

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Norfolk
    • http://southwellski.blogspot.co.uk/
Lawn sheep
« on: August 04, 2012, 01:17:25 pm »
Quick (and probably stupid) question:  would sheep just stick to eating grass in a garden or would they venture into the flower beds too....

henchard

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Carmarthenshire
    • Two Retirees Start a New Life in Wales
    • Facebook
Re: Lawn sheep
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2012, 01:18:52 pm »
Your flower beds wouldn't have a chance; they will be all over them.

Bumblebear

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Norfolk
    • http://southwellski.blogspot.co.uk/
Re: Lawn sheep
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2012, 01:23:45 pm »
Not me.  I have weed beds :D But I keep reading about the sheep as lawn mowers thing and just wondered how that would work.


henchard

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Carmarthenshire
    • Two Retirees Start a New Life in Wales
    • Facebook
Re: Lawn sheep
« Reply #4 on: August 04, 2012, 01:48:38 pm »
But I keep reading about the sheep as lawn mowers thing and just wondered how that would work.

Electric fencing?

http://www.agrisellex.co.uk/articles/electric-fencing-for-sheep.html

kanisha

  • Joined Dec 2007
    • Spered Breizh Ouessants
    • Facebook
Re: Lawn sheep
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2012, 01:51:09 pm »
I use my Ouessant sheep to mow as much of the garden as is possible who are often touted as eco lawnmowers but use three strand  temporary electric fencing on those areas I want them to keep off. A sheeps idea of a noxious weed is  completely different to yours.
Ravelry Group: - Ouessants & Company

bangbang

  • Guest
Re: Lawn sheep
« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2012, 01:56:50 pm »
We use our shetlands to do the verges along our road, there still having dificulty using
the strimmer though.. :innocent:

plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
    • Facebook
Re: Lawn sheep
« Reply #7 on: August 04, 2012, 04:34:44 pm »
When we were bottle feeding our lambs, they used to roam about the lawn grass (2 at a time so we could keep in control!) while we sniggered at how funny it looked and drank wine  ;D
Now though they are hefty great beasts and would be all over the flower beds and we'd have little chance of keeping them in check!
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

luckylady

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • Yorkshire
Re: Lawn sheep
« Reply #8 on: August 04, 2012, 04:55:03 pm »
They eat all that they can reach!  We keep ours off the fruit bushes and ivy with electric fencing - I feel cruel but it has to be done.  They once got into our vegetable area in the disused foldyard and boy did they have a good time.  Raised beds - just their height!   :yum:  Nom nom nom!!  ;D   Now they know where the curly kale is they won't forget  :innocent: .
Doing that swan thing - cool and calm on the surface but paddling like crazy beneath.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Lawn sheep
« Reply #9 on: August 04, 2012, 05:27:28 pm »
In my experience, they eat everything that isn't grass first and only resort to mowing the grass when the rest of the garden has been reduced to a wasteland.

They're lawnmowers in paddocks.  They're indiscriminate defoliators in gardens.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

luckylady

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • Yorkshire
Re: Lawn sheep
« Reply #10 on: August 04, 2012, 05:40:01 pm »

They're lawnmowers in paddocks.  They're indiscriminate defoliators in gardens.
Brilliant summarisation!  :sheep:   ;D   ;D
Doing that swan thing - cool and calm on the surface but paddling like crazy beneath.

Small Farmer

  • Joined Jan 2012
  • Bedfordshire
Re: Lawn sheep
« Reply #11 on: August 04, 2012, 06:08:58 pm »
We lent three to a neighbour to help with her heavily overgrown quarter acre garden.  They dramatically improved it over a few weeks so you could tell where the flower beds were etc.  No flowers left, of course, but it was effective.
Being certain just means you haven't got all the facts

 

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