2021, Waiting on lambs!

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Moved onto newest paddock!
They'll have to occasionally use the pony track to move about.
Looked up the plan pic, because I don't think my numbering was right.
This is #10. Next one will go by #9, I'll redo their numbers later to be consecutive as the sheep walk through them.

 

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It's a mess, need to find original pic to edit...
But this is what I'm hoping to do before the end of the year & the order they'll be in.
#10 will be thinner because it's by the open road and I hate that, but need to use it. I'll either fully fence the pond out again or end the fencing over the pond edge.
#11 I just finished. It's not as huge as it looks here.
#12 will use more of the slope #11 is on and continue enough to eventually connect to...
#13! Which will be on the very steep section running towards pond. It'll be fenced from that long rut, but may end fencing over pond edge as well.
hoping that will be all and no more paddocks will be put in.
Rotating every 5 days gives me 65 days rest before sheep return. I'll have the rams in either the paddock directly behind or one back.
I'd also be able to have 7 breeding groups.

 

[farmerjan]

Looks like you are reaching the goal. That is great to be able to rotate them through. I assume you will not be making any hay on your place and just buy in what you need. With that much rotation, you will help to cut down on your hay needs anyway. How much do the horses use? You still have several don't you? Maybe I missed where you sold more?

 

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I sure hope that straw net is biodegradable...

 

[farmerjan]

None of the net wraps on the big round bales is biodegradable... I am not sure what you got. We have to pick up any we do not get off the hay rolls but we mostly take the rolls out in the field and cut and then pull off the net wrap before we set down a bale. The calves can get chunks of it and it has been found in some cows guts and stopped them up if it is in too big a wad to pass through the rumen into the intestines. It is made to be weather resistant so the rolls hold their shape and last and actually shed more water when kept outside. We use it as seldom as we can... but sometimes if the bigger "string" baler has a breakdown, we will use the net wrap one to get the hay up if it is threatening rain or something. We have one guy that we custom bale for that wants the net wrap... and that baler was part of the purchase from the deceased friend's equipment, so we kept it. Net wrap also costs about 300 a roll that goes in the baler... adds about $3 a roll to the cost... paid by the roll.... and he wants the smaller rolls since he has a smaller tractor to feed with.... 800lb or so 4x5 rolls... our big rolls are 1200 lbs 5x5 or 5x6 size....

 

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None of the net wraps on the big round bales is biodegradable... I am not sure what you got. We have to pick up any we do not get off the hay rolls but we mostly take the rolls out in the field and cut and then pull off the net wrap before we set down a bale. The calves can get chunks of it and it has been found in some cows guts and stopped them up if it is in too big a wad to pass through the rumen into the intestines. It is made to be weather resistant so the rolls hold their shape and last and actually shed more water when kept outside. We use it as seldom as we can... but sometimes if the bigger "string" baler has a breakdown, we will use the net wrap one to get the hay up if it is threatening rain or something. We have one guy that we custom bale for that wants the net wrap... and that baler was part of the purchase from the deceased friend's equipment, so we kept it. Net wrap also costs about 300 a roll that goes in the baler... adds about $3 a roll to the cost... paid by the roll.... and he wants the smaller rolls since he has a smaller tractor to feed with.... 800lb or so 4x5 rolls... our big rolls are 1200 lbs 5x5 or 5x6 size....

No, the straw roll for seeding.

 

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Ugh, I'll have to cut this hill out and then redo trench, last add stone dust.
Then, I can seed & hay it to grow grass.

 

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No, the straw roll for seeding.

Looked it up. "Photodegradable netting."
Had to Google that one.
Needs UV light to vanish over time.

 

[secuono]

Looks like you are reaching the goal. That is great to be able to rotate them through. I assume you will not be making any hay on your place and just buy in what you need. With that much rotation, you will help to cut down on your hay needs anyway. How much do the horses use? You still have several don't you? Maybe I missed where you sold more?

Gave up on hay making. 20k for equipment & storage & maintenance & learning how & all that VS a 1k budget every year for 20yrs. The latter made far more sense and much simpler!

Still need to get the new building ordered though...

Rotation is just to keep worm loads down, as I'm heavily stocked.

Roughly 30 mini sheep & 5 ponies went through 10 big bales, 5×5ft, 1,000lbs or so. All were put out on the 20acres at the start of December? Ponies may of been moved out sooner. Sheep brought in too soon, February. Because they were supposed to be shorn, but that didn't happen, so they used up the last of the hay and then had to buy a bit more!

Hoping to get very soft, clean hay from now on. Should cut waste done by crazy picky sheep! Need to get more hay in asap for the ponies currently.

 

[farmerjan]

I had never heard of photodegradable netting.... and from what I looked up after reading your post and out of curiosity, it says 90 plus days according to the amount of ultraviolet light. So, I guess this is a good opportunity for you to do some "research" on it and report back to us. I know that the straw will be degrading (composting) as the grass grows up through it and it will stabilize and even feed the grass seed.... will be interesting in how fully it breaks down this straw retaining stuff, and how fast it degrades.
Thanks .

Yeah, investing in hay equipment plus the time and all is not worth it if you don't have alot of animals to justify it... plus the time it takes to make it.... Believe me, we sometimes even question our sanity and we make ALOT of hay. Sounds like what you need/want for the sheep is a good 2nd cutting orchard grass hay... we make some that is very "bladey" and the 2nd cutting is a soft - not stalky - hay that we sell to horse customers. The cattle do well on the 1st cutting that is coarser, and the mixed grass hay we make on rented and/or "given to us to just make the hay " ground. Still we put out 1,000's of dollars in fertilizer even on those type places to justify the time and expense to make it.... not much sense to make hay on marginal ground and get 1-2 rolls to the acre, when fertilizer to feed the ground will give us 2-5 rolls.... It costs the same to run over the same amount of ground regardless of what we get. We often buy hay that others have that is surplus, because they are selling it for what it costs us to make it or below our costs. We have been rotating the cattle more, partially for the worm situation also, and making less hay on "pasture fields" if there is fencing, and sometimes buying extra instead. If we get an extra month or so out of some of the places with grazing, why make the hay.... let the cows do the harvesting. Of course many places there is no fences, or no water, and without long term leases, you cannot afford to do fencing.... It is too risky to even do electric on some of the rented ground because of the heavy deer population here, and liability issues if cattle get out. But many places there is no water even if the "iffy fences" could be fixed.... and it costs too much to be hauling water everywhere. That negates the advantage of the pasture.....

Good luck finding the hay you want. If you find a good supplier, stick with them and don't haggle alot on the price. Then if we have a dry year, they will take care of you because you are a good customer. We have a couple of horse people that we have had for over 20 years.... they sometimes help unload if they are there at home when we deliver, they have stayed with us all along, and when we were in dry conditions we made sure we had enough hay put back to get them through with what they "normally got" on a yearly average. They always have the money there, or a couple will call within a day or 2 of delivery and say how much and have a check in the mail, and we get it within a week. NOTHING WORSE, than someone that drags out paying..... and we don't tolerate customers like that anymore. Hay out of the field is pay when you get it..... non-negotiable. We will give a new customer a couple bales to take home and see if their animals like it before we take them on as a customer... and they know the terms up front.