grass types for baby doll sheep?

[bonbean01]

Glad a TN forage link was posted...our soil has a clay base, but not really sandy. Good luck with your pasture and eventually sheep!

 

[kfacres]

You will need to get some shade tolerant grasses, and you will need to get grasses that thrive in poor soil conditions, really poor soil conditions... You will also need to do a soil test, and add amendments as you need them.

If you would like more info- email me direct- or PM--- This type of thing is my specialty at work-- but I would have to do a little more research when I get in front of my reference materials... This isn't the typical setting I always make suggestions for...

If it were me- I would not directly plant in fescue-- especially since you are posting in a sheep forum. she don't much care for fescue. I also would not plant much for crab grass-- although it is an extremely high quality WARM season grass-- it's quite lacking through the rest of the year.

I'm not sure where your getting you're information but Tall Fescue is a perfectly good pasture grass for Sheep. Now I do see the need for Shade tolerant grasses.

http://forages.tennessee.edu/Page10- TN Forage Guide.html

I'm getting this information from personal experience-- both as a grazing specialist-- and as a grazer... if you would walk through one particular pasture of mine-- the fescue is the only thing standing... Sheep will almost starve to death if they have a choice of eating fescue or anything else.

I'd take personal experience from somebody who knows something-- over what you read in a book or online any day of the week-- from someone who might know something.

Fescue, yes does make a good forage for sheep- however, if given the choice-- they will avoid it at all costs. Sheep will hammer the orchard grass though. If you plan to have an intensive pasture rotation setup-- then that's fine-- it will force them to east fescue--- or mainly it will keep them from over grazing whatever else is growing with that fescue-- most often orchard or white clovers-- of which they will nub to the ground instead of eating the fescue.

Now, with that said- sheep are perhaps the best utilization of KY 31 Tall fescue in this country-- why? B/c of the endophyte that is present in the KY 31. From my experience, sheep are not effected by this toxin-- as much as the other species are-- most notably cattle...

Goats on the other hand-- they WILL STARVE to death before eating tall fescue...

If you would like-- I'll got out and snap a picture of a lot that's grazed down to the ground-- and it will show quite easily the clumps of tall fescue-- untouched-- and now headed out...

 

[rhinomd]

Thank you everyone now I at least know to check other types of grass out. The ground is really good as my neighbor has a 30 acre field next door that i could use if needed. I just finished bush hogging the field yesterday. Mainly the sand is from run off. But before i cleared it completely out there was a few good groups of clover present. I will call my friend at the agriculture dept. his family has had sheep and other animals before in this area. If anyone has anything to add please feel free.

 

[kfacres]

i would probably take more of the trees out- especially the quick growing ones-- and fence off any that you really want to keep around...

 

[rhinomd]

Thats there shade all big hickory trees. but i am only planning on have 3 baby dolls or than babies at any time.

 

[kfacres]

Thats there shade all big hickory trees. but i am only planning on have 3 baby dolls or than babies at any time.

studies have shown that shade is more detrimental to grazing-- than not having shade. When shade is present- the livestock congregate under the trees-- and that causes several problems- 1- an accumulation of manure and urine-- which is a nutrient overload in that spot and keeps it from being consistantely scattered thoughout the grazing area. 2- livestock that are laying around all day- instead of grazing, when this happens-- they are not utilizing their forage to the upmost extent, and 3- under the trees will become barren areas; which will not grow grass-- and in most people's eyes-- is wasted land...

If you have 3 sheep- one tree will suffice for shade-- the rest will just rob nutrients and water from the grass you should be trying to grow, and causing shade--which will also help deter most desirable species of grass growth.

I have noticed one thing around here-- our livestock perform better on pastures and paddocks that do not have shade-- unless I am feeding them grain-- then I have not found a difference. I k now several hard core grazers-- that cut every tree down on the place.

i have also found another very interesting thing about sheep in the summer.

I nearly always shear in July and December. During my July shearing- it's quite often that I do half the flock during 2 nights. What I notice is the first half of hte flock which I shear on day 1-- will be laying under the shade trees on day 2; whereas the half of the flock that is in fleece still-- will be out grazing when I take the dog out to gather them up. That wool that so many people worry about having on in winter for insulation-- also works as insulation in the summer.

 

[rhinomd]

i see what your saying about it now. But only the other reason i am not gonna cut them down is because it keeps my house shaded. So less of electric bill in summer. That picture is taken off of my deck looking down hill. I have no grass period in my yard anyway. So i dont even own a lawn mower. Of course i can go get the companys tractor and do what ever i need to. I know at 90 degrees is not a good time to be making a fire either. I am slowly cutting my way into brush pile and making small fire to get it out of way.

 

[kfacres]

i see what your saying about it now. But only the other reason i am not gonna cut them down is because it keeps my house shaded. So less of electric bill in summer. That picture is taken off of my deck looking down hill. I have no grass period in my yard anyway. So i dont even own a lawn mower. Of course i can go get the companys tractor and do what ever i need to. I know at 90 degrees is not a good time to be making a fire either. I am slowly cutting my way into brush pile and making small fire to get it out of way.

Well now that's a different story-- your goal isn't to create pasture for the sheep-- your goal is to maintain shade for you house, and have a few sheep in the yard...



where do you live again?

Here's some fact sheets about some of the most common cool season grasses for pastures and forages-- atleast in the midwest...

http://www.il.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/grazing/coolgrass.html

 

[Symphony]

i see what your saying about it now. But only the other reason i am not gonna cut them down is because it keeps my house shaded. So less of electric bill in summer. That picture is taken off of my deck looking down hill. I have no grass period in my yard anyway. So i dont even own a lawn mower. Of course i can go get the companys tractor and do what ever i need to. I know at 90 degrees is not a good time to be making a fire either. I am slowly cutting my way into brush pile and making small fire to get it out of way.

Well now that's a different story-- your goal isn't to create pasture for the sheep-- your goal is to maintain shade for you house, and have a few sheep in the yard...



where do you live again?

Here's some fact sheets about some of the most common cool season grasses for pastures and forages-- atleast in the midwest...

http://www.il.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/grazing/coolgrass.html

Hmmm...with my eye I noticed several of the grasses mentioned above in my original posts. I do have several years of knowledge under my belt so I'm perfectly comfortable giving sound advice when it comes to grazing and livestock.

 

[kfacres]

hmm.. here I thought your original post only contained tall fescue and crab grass... if you are referring to the link you posted-- I didn't see any harm in posting a second opinion-- and sure not one that's not to complicated. To someone who knows nothing about grass species selection-- I'm betting they don't know the difference b/w warm/ cool season- or legumes for that matter... Let alone the advantages/ dis of each.


My suggestion is still orchard grass- as I confirmed my belief of it's shade tollerance, and it's desirable status for sheep grazing.

Tall fescue would not be something I would plant in this situation, sorry-- it goes against my experience.