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Author Topic: minimum area for 2pet sheep  (Read 11254 times)

charlie-ia

  • Joined Aug 2018
  • Ireland
minimum area for 2pet sheep
« on: August 09, 2018, 03:04:45 pm »
Hello everyone, first post... :wave:
Toying with the idea of two pet lawnmowers, but have very little space. What is the minimum for a couple of primitive small sheep?
Sorry if its been asked before
Thankyou

Terry T

  • Joined Sep 2014
  • Norfolk
Re: minimum area for 2pet sheep
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2018, 07:45:58 pm »
There’s no set amount as it depends on breed an quality of grazing.
Ideally you meed to have more than one area so you can rotate.
We have 3 hebridian on ~1 acre and feed hay over winter (summer too this year due to drought).

charlie-ia

  • Joined Aug 2018
  • Ireland
Re: minimum area for 2pet sheep
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2018, 07:53:01 pm »
Hello Terry T
I was looking at Ouessants, but I might struggle to get them here in Ireland. Something friendly, small and tough, anyway.
I have about 1/4 of an acre that they could call their own that could be permanently fenced and a house for them, and the rest of an acre that they could graze on that would be difficult to fence except with moveable electric fence, eg the grass between veg plots, kiddies play area, orchard, various wide tracks etc. Plenty of good grass, but all in little bits.Would that work? Thankyou

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: minimum area for 2pet sheep
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2018, 08:05:57 pm »
I’m sorry but that doesn’t sound suitable for any sheep to me. 

Paging [member=81]kanisha[/member] as she actually has Ouessants so can comment about them specifically.  They are very small, I know.
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

charlie-ia

  • Joined Aug 2018
  • Ireland
Re: minimum area for 2pet sheep
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2018, 08:25:49 pm »
Thankyou. Better I find out now, before I get too excited!
 I may be able to get a bit of land off a neighbour, but again it would only be about 1/4 acre.

kanisha

  • Joined Dec 2007
    • Spered Breizh Ouessants
    • Facebook
Re: minimum area for 2pet sheep
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2018, 09:18:10 pm »
You may find you would be better off with geese. The size of plot you are considering even for Ouessants will get overgrazed quickly. Turns to mud in winter and a dust bowl in summer. Unfortunately the often quoted minimum allowance for ouessants really only works when you have a larger area divided by a number of of sheep allowing you to rotate ground.
« Last Edit: August 10, 2018, 09:20:52 pm by kanisha »
Ravelry Group: - Ouessants & Company

charlie-ia

  • Joined Aug 2018
  • Ireland
Re: minimum area for 2pet sheep
« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2018, 09:41:29 pm »
That's a shame. Sheep are so much nicer than geese. How much land would I actually need? If I was asking the neighbour for a corner, maybe I could be bold?
I know I am very tired of lawnmowers!
Thanks for your replies everyone

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: minimum area for 2pet sheep
« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2018, 11:14:39 pm »
Goats browse rather than graze, so possibly need less actual grass?  (I’m not a goat keeper, and I hope others who are will chip in if this is a bonkers idea, or cruel, or both.).  Much more fun than geese - but probably not very effective lawnmowers, either :/.  And do need shelter.
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

Backinwellies

  • Global Moderator
  • Joined Sep 2012
  • Llandeilo Carmarthenshire
    • Nantygroes
    • Facebook
Re: minimum area for 2pet sheep
« Reply #8 on: August 11, 2018, 07:08:18 am »
Are you after something to keep grass down or animals?   Goats would work on this area but probably won't keep grass down.... You will need to be prepared to buy in lots of feed and also cut branches and veg for them. .... And fence for giraffe and worms ....as someone so greatly put it!   They must have a shed shelter available at all times.
Linda

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nimbusllama

  • Joined Nov 2010
  • Near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
Re: minimum area for 2pet sheep
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2018, 08:20:17 am »
I think we need a bit more information regarding how big the patches of grass are.  However one thing to consider if you are having Primitive sheep is that you cannot use moveable electric netting as most of them have horns, so would have to use strands of wire which are not as easy to move.


charlie-ia

  • Joined Aug 2018
  • Ireland
Re: minimum area for 2pet sheep
« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2018, 10:10:16 am »
It was definitely for the grass cutting skills I was looking at sheep.

Main permanently fenced area =30*45m
Orchard 6*21m (between the trees, so trees are safe from nibbling)
Behind barn 6*10m
"Lawn" :roflanim: 9*12m
Track 21*6m
Under trees 6*18m
I also work from home, outside, so they would be supervised.

Thankyou
I make that about 650 m2 in total.
There are more patches, but those are the main ones.
I don't mind feeding them either, as long as it wouldn't turn out crazy expensive.

I also believe female Ouessants are hornless? Though wethers make better pets, is that right?

kanisha

  • Joined Dec 2007
    • Spered Breizh Ouessants
    • Facebook
Re: minimum area for 2pet sheep
« Reply #11 on: August 11, 2018, 11:46:35 am »
I work on 1000m2 per sheep with a minimum of 3000m2  to start with a couple. You won't mind feeding them until you can't set foot outside without hearing their dulcet tones baaing for food......


If the sheep cut all the grass when its growing in the summer they will be on mud in the winter when the grass isn't growing.  As you won't be leaving any to rest year on year you will have less grazing.
Ravelry Group: - Ouessants & Company

charlie-ia

  • Joined Aug 2018
  • Ireland
Re: minimum area for 2pet sheep
« Reply #12 on: August 11, 2018, 12:13:38 pm »
That's clearly a lot more land than I have.
Oh well.
One day maybe...

Thanks for the advice


charlie-ia

  • Joined Aug 2018
  • Ireland
Re: minimum area for 2pet sheep
« Reply #13 on: August 11, 2018, 01:34:46 pm »
I've actually miscalculated (converting paces to meters) and I have over 1000m, but still not enough.
Oh I am disappointed

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: minimum area for 2pet sheep
« Reply #14 on: August 11, 2018, 01:43:50 pm »
Would charlie-ia be able to house the sheep in winter, thereby allowing the grass to recover somewhat?  Some sheep don't mind being housed in winter, but I don't know about Ouessants. 
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

 

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