Is it ok to have our sheep forage and browse in our Eucalyptus forest?

[Baymule]

I used a cow panel and a pallet to make a temporary chute for my sheep. I'll get a picture it post it for you.

 

[soarwitheagles]

Thanks Baymule!

 

[sadieml]

@soarwitheagles - My eldest sister and I both had crushes on Audie Murphy when I was a kid, and cried bitterly when he died in 1971. If you've ever seen the movie about him (in which he starred, btw) you probably already know the answer to your own question about him. If not, try to see it sometime, OR read this Wikipedia article on him. Remember, he became famous as a result of his wartime exploits, not the most decorated soldier of the war due to his fame. I think it is safe to say that YES he actually did earn all of those medals.

 

[soarwitheagles]

@soarwitheagles - My eldest sister and I both had crushes on Audie Murphy when I was a kid, and cried bitterly when he died in 1971. If you've ever seen the movie about him (in which he starred, btw) you probably already know the answer to your own question about him. If not, try to see it sometime, OR read this Wikipedia article on him. Remember, he became famous as a result of his wartime exploits, not the most decorated soldier of the war due to his fame. I think it is safe to say that YES he actually did earn all of those medals.

Oh my! Now you have gone and given away your age for all to see!

Well, he sure was handsome and I can see how easy it would be to develop a crush on him! And the young man's courage and bravery was incredible.

I desperately hope I have not offended you by calling him Audie Morphy in one of my earlier posts...I was trying to be funny...please forgive me if I did offend you. No offense intended.

Yes, I have read about Audie Murphy extensively. His movie, "To hell and back" was great, but if you read the documented accounts [and I am sure you have] of what this boy did on the battlefield, it is enough to command a lifetime of awe and respect and also bring tears to the eyes.

Just the other day, I was re-reading his biography, and I literally had to stop and pray, "Lord, please give me the courage You gave to Audie Murphy!" [I presently serve in a war zone called Stockton, California. This war zone is nothing compared to what Audie Murphy face in his day, but, I still need his kind of over the top courage on a daily basis].

sadieml, I would never question any of the metals Audie Murphy was awarded due to his exploits in World War II. I believe he earned every one of those metals and probably should have been awarded many, many more. Many people do not realize he was awarded literally every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army.

Even to this day, Audie Murphy is the most decorated soldier in American history!

Audie Murphy is one of my heroes in life.

My only regret is that Audie Murphy struggled greatly with post-traumatic stress and at the time, most doctors did not know what it was or how to treat it. But even then, Audie did not let that defeat him. In fact he was a mouth piece that helped the government to realize more study had to be done to understand the mental and emotional effects of battle upon the soldiers returning from the wars. What a guy!

Believe it or not, my youngest brother benefited from Audie Murphy many, many years after Audie's death. My brother returned from Iraq with posttraumatic stress disorder. He received marvelous help from the Veterans Administration and is doing much better now.

 

[sadieml]

@soarwitheagles - Dear me, no, I'm not offended at all. (I heard a preacher say one time, if you can be offended, you WILL.) I think everyone should toughen-up a bit, we are much too thin-skinned these days.

I proudly admit I am 54, only barely middle-aged, since the women in my family regularly live to be 95+, and even the men usually live into their 90's. I am glad to know that others out there are as inspired as I am by people like Audie Murphy and Alvin York and the Sullivan brothers.

 

[Baymule]

I T-posted a cow panel about 18" to 24" from the temporary horse wire that is the sheep pen. I put a pallet at one end with T-post guides, so I can slide is away and release the sheep. I flared out the other end of the cow panel and secured it with a T-post. Hope this helps.

The small piece of plywood in the chute is my back "gate" LOL! I drop it in place with a couple of rebar pieces run through the wire to hold it in place. sorry about it being sideways.....I am extremely talented

Here is a view from the other end. Ewe-nique photo bombed it

 

[soarwitheagles]

That sounds like a plan!

Do you generally feed them the grain about the same time of day? If so, use that, too. Say for example you feed them at 4pm, and you only want them in the pastureland for 15 minutes - then let them into the pastureland about a quarter till 4 the first day. At 4, do the grain routine. If you vary the time of day you feed the grain, this may not matter as much.

How much grain do you give them? They'll be coming in with their bellies fuller than normal with new food, so if you can decrease it while still giving them just enough to be happy to come in for grain, that might not be a bad thing.

Sheep generally learn routines quickly, especially if they involve food. Think of a backup plan just in case, and good luck!

Thanks again for sharing your insights with us Norse!

At first, I wasn't feeding them any grain at all for the first month or so. Next, I began to feed them every day around 4-5 pm.

I began by giving them only a small handful [I was afraid they would bloat and explode]. Then I began to very slowly increase the volume of grain, feeding every other day. Finally, I would fill half of a 5 gallon bucket, and feed them every day. I noticed they will eat until content, then leave the grain in the feeder tray. So I think these sheep know how to self-monitor and I need not worry about finding sheep body parts strewn all over the pasture because one of them overate and blew up!

Next week, we hope to begin putting up all the new fencing and let them out to pasture or into the front part of the Eucalyptus forest. I hope to build the sheep gates for the fencing this week during the evening hours.

So that's the plan for now.

A good friend and rancher just came over this morning. He mentioned it may take a flock of 16 sheep an entire month just to eat the grass in a .25 acre parcel next to the sheep pen! This grass parcel grows grass all by itself each year [I did not plant it] when the rains come and the grass is presently about 12 inches high. Woe! Now I am wondering if I planted way too much pasture land!

 

[soarwitheagles]

I T-posted a cow panel about 18" to 24" from the temporary horse wire that is the sheep pen. I put a pallet at one end with T-post guides, so I can slide is away and release the sheep. I flared out the other end of the cow panel and secured it with a T-post. Hope this helps.

View attachment 13897

The small piece of plywood in the chute is my back "gate" LOL! I drop it in place with a couple of rebar pieces run through the wire to hold it in place. sorry about it being sideways.....I am extremely talented

View attachment 13898

Here is a view from the other end. Ewe-nique photo bombed it

Thank you Baymule for posting those pictures. You are giving me lots of ideas and the good news is we have access to lots of those pallets for free.

We hope to give it a try!