0.012 Acres a Week?

[bubba1358]

Is there a ruminant animal (mini goat, pony) that could do well in a 16x32 pen, reset onto fresh graze each week? This amounts to about 0.6 acres a year through a 52-week intensive grazing environment. Thanks.

 

[SheepGirl]

My ram in a 8x28 pen grazed all the grass down in 3-4 days. I would think a 16x32 pen would last a week. But only for one sheep. It may not be practical to move a pen every week, depending on what it's made out of. And you would probably want to have two critters in the one pen so they don't get lonely.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Is there a ruminant animal (mini goat, pony) that could do well in a 16x32 pen, reset onto fresh graze each week? This amounts to about 0.6 acres a year through a 52-week intensive grazing environment. Thanks.

No. I don't believe that is feasible.
But, you can dry lot. I do so very successfully.
I currently have 17, healthy, well conditioned, parasite free Nigerian Dwarfs on an acre, acre quarter wooded lot who are dry lotted. I had 30 this summer, but that was too many and we are at a good number now. You just have to feed them well, the best possible hay you can buy. We feed coastal Bermuda hay free choice. We supplement with alfalfa for lactating does, a local mix feed, and minerals free choice. We also get peanut hay in the fall to replace the alfalfa we can't purchase seasonally for our does who are bred. But, if I have to, I will get alfalfa from out of state in the fall to make sure they are well fed.

 

[bubba1358]

Thanks. What if one sheep were kept adjacent (sharing a fence line) to hogs? Would that be an OK for companionship?

 

[bonbean01]

Not an expert...but I'd have to say no...sheep need sheep for companionship in my opinion.

 

[Afrohippie]

No. I don't believe that is feasible.
But, you can dry lot. I do so very successfully.
I currently have 17, healthy, well conditioned, parasite free Nigerian Dwarfs on an acre, acre quarter wooded lot who are dry lotted. I had 30 this summer, but that was too many and we are at a good number now. You just have to feed them well, the best possible hay you can buy. We feed coastal Bermuda hay free choice. We supplement with alfalfa for lactating does, a local mix feed, and minerals free choice. We also get peanut hay in the fall to replace the alfalfa we can't purchase seasonally for our does who are bred. But, if I have to, I will get alfalfa from out of state in the fall to make sure they are well fed.

Do you have any pictures of your goat pen set up

 

[OneFineAcre]

Do you have any pictures of your goat pen set up

Probably not. That was two years ago. We moved last summer to a new place with 5 acres. I'll look, but I don't think I have any pictures of the old place.

But it was basically a 1 acre wood lot. We had the entire space fenced in. And it was divided into 4 fairly equal sized spaces.

I wouldn't recommend the numbers we had though.