Electric fence & small-scale rotational grazing

[ConcernedSheep]

Wow - that sounds nice 5 retired ewes (assuming they are healthy). They will clear out your land (as long as it's stuff they want to eat) and you'll be supplementing. Though - not knowing your area you may be ok?? Here we are only green for a few months, then crunchy brown.

I would say 80% of what grows here is foxtail grass (foxtail barley) that the sheep seem to eat just fine before it goes to seed. The previous grazier didn't rotate, so as soon as it started to come to a head the sheep ignored it. But I think if we rotate them and have them eat it down regularly, the amount of plants allowed to go to seed would reduce, thus reducing the overall growth over time (I hope this isn't too naive of me). The other 20% or so is Italian thistle, dandelion, wild radish, cornflower, and other common weeds.

I was hoping to be able to seed between rotations with more desirable things, after we get the soil tested and the fall rains come. We are prepared to supplement with hay in the summer, as our pastures are green from maybe October-April and then very dry in the summer (Northern Bay Area, California).

 

[ConcernedSheep]

YES on the soil testing! Do that before everything else.
That "carrying capacity" this seems like a bunch of hooey to me. Walmart has 2 acres of parking lot, not much grazing. The small section of grass between my barn & coop is roughly 50'x50' & can be grazed to the ground over & over and it will pop back up within a week. If I had even a little bit of pasture like that I'd be able to cut my hay bill in half.

Soil testing is being done this weekend! And I agree... we're also in an ag-heavy area, so basing our desired "carrying capacity" off the guidelines that large-scale farming operations use is definitely not the right way anyway.

 

[SageHill]

Ah!! Gotcha. We've got some similar weeds (no dandelions here though) -- the foxtails here are lower growers than other areas in the county (San Diego). Wild radish yup got that. If you have fillary they love that. I've got thread called Sheep on the Wild Graze --- I've taken a lot of pics and done some light research on what the sheep eat and don't eat here.

Sheep on the Wild Graze

Well, now sure if that's a good title for this thread or not. I graze my sheep old style - moving them down roads with a dog who then becomes a living fence for the area to graze. Sheep choose to eat plants at certain times in the lifecycle of the plant - I've learned that just recently in my...

www.backyardherds.com

 

[Baymule]

I think 5 retired girls on 1.5 acres is doable, especially you being so concerned with rotational grazing.
I know nothing of foxtails. Sometimes certain weeds proliferate because of soil imbalance. Perhaps the soil needs lime?

 

[ConcernedSheep]

Ah!! Gotcha. We've got some similar weeds (no dandelions here though) -- the foxtails here are lower growers than other areas in the county (San Diego). Wild radish yup got that. If you have fillary they love that. I've got thread called Sheep on the Wild Graze --- I've taken a lot of pics and done some light research on what the sheep eat and don't eat here.

Sheep on the Wild Graze

Well, now sure if that's a good title for this thread or not. I graze my sheep old style - moving them down roads with a dog who then becomes a living fence for the area to graze. Sheep choose to eat plants at certain times in the lifecycle of the plant - I've learned that just recently in my...

www.backyardherds.com

I was looking at this thread just yesterday!! Very interesting, thank you for taking the time to document all that!

 

[ConcernedSheep]

I think 5 retired girls on 1.5 acres is doable, especially you being so concerned with rotational grazing.
I know nothing of foxtails. Sometimes certain weeds proliferate because of soil imbalance. Perhaps the soil needs lime?

Yeah, I'm sure I'll get some insight from the soil testing... both our pasture and the surrounding pastures are all full of it... it's invasive and very prolific.

 

[SageHill]

@Baymule - foxtails start out looking like grass, send up a seed awn the looks like the foxtails we used to play with and run around tickling friends with as little kids in the Midwest. But out here (no idea if it’s the same plant in different growing conditions) they dry out and every seed turns into a potentially lethal nasty. The ends are very sharp and barbed (can’t see the barbs) that very often go through the skin and travel through the body. It’s big business for many vets to get them out fairly often requires surgery.

 

[Baymule]

Those sound awful. I wonder what type soil they need to grow and flourish. As I mentioned, lots of weeds can be mineralized away with lime. You might want to research on that, what PH do foxtails need?

 

[Mini Horses]

It's a BIG no, no in hay!!!!!!

 

[SageHill]

Those sound awful. I wonder what type soil they need to grow and flourish. As I mentioned, lots of weeds can be mineralized away with lime. You might want to research on that, what PH do foxtails need?

LOL know idea what the dreaded foxtails need -- not much that's for sure. They pop up anywhere - and in cracks of pavement as well.