Author Topic: Sheep vs chemicals? (Read 2684 times)

Skylark · « **on:** August 18, 2013, 02:30:21 pm »

Really new to all this and still trying to get head round best way to manage our 8 acre field. Reading a lot on here and learning lots but am I right in thinking that if we put sheep on it this is an alternative to having to spray it with chemicals?? Would they keep the weeds and grass down and allow wildflowers to thrive? In the past, before our time, it was sprayed and cut for silage but there are some wild flowers just hanging on around the margins. Any advice welcome.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #1 on:** August 18, 2013, 02:52:15 pm »

What are the weeds? Some weeds sheep will eat, others not. They will eat most wildflowers. The way to keep your wildflowers, is to manage the ground carefully, allowing the sheep to eat down the tougher grasses etc to allow the flowers to grow, then leaving the sheep off long enough for the flowers to seed. It definitely isn't a case of just leaving things up to the sheep.

You could harvest part of your acreage for hay, and not cut it until the flower seeds have set. This forms part of a Conservation Grazing strategy for biodiversity. There should be some information about how to go about it on The Hebridean Sheep Soc website, or at least info on who to contact, or just google the subject. Or of course someone on here is bound to be knowledgeable on the subject.

Skylark · « **Reply #2 on:** August 18, 2013, 04:39:09 pm »

Thanks Fleecewife, weeds not too bad just now as it was cut about 6 weeks ago by farmer but lots of dandelions coming up, hope he comes to give it second cut soon before anything else gets a chance to take hold! I will definitely look into the conservation grazing to try help figure it all out. Definitely would be easier just to let farmer spray it and cut it each year but would really like to be as chemical free as possible. Idea was to possibly get it all fenced and let it out to someone with sheep.

lachlanandmarcus · « **Reply #3 on:** August 19, 2013, 04:51:59 am »

If you let it out from after haymaking until about February (or a subsection of that period) then you might get a good crop of wild flowers, as it will allow the seeds light to germinate. But 'mob stocking ' with loads of sheep might mean too much fertiliser for the soil for the wild flowers, so agree how many sheep are going on there if they will be on there the whole period.

Skylark · « **Reply #4 on:** August 19, 2013, 06:06:52 am »

Thanks lachlanandmarcus, I might have to supply coffee and cake sometime in return for a talk through of what I can do and interested how you manage all yours!