LAWNS OR MEADOWS;What do you have?

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day and thanks for dropping by..........

From what I have read in posts there seems to be a lot of sheep masquerading as lawn mowers,Its my view that this is "not " a great environment in which to raise/breed sheep.If you want "neat lawns"buy a "ride-on mower".....................

All types of livestock need "diversity" in there pasture to be healthy and you will never achieve this if plants are not allowed to seed(because it makes the lawn look untidy).Most farmers (yes,even small ones) en-devour to allow one paddock a year to run to 'head' and restore the seed bank and to replenish 'organic matter ' which is the foundation of your soil.

If you take the time to examine a 'wild meadow' in summer you will most likely find some 'new' green growth underneath the dry matter left after 'spring flush'.this 'rough 'surface does two things,It stops the 'hot dry winds' of "summer "scorching the new soft growth and it also helps maintain the "water cycle"into the hotter months.This cycle traps the cooler,moist air of the evening and it forms 'droplets' which through 'gravity' travels down to the surface of the soil, there-by giving some chance for the 'warm season grasses to get away.This cycle can be really evident under trees and in even our summer(with temps up to 100f)it is not unusual to find the surface still damp approaching midday.

The 'economics' of sheep lawn mowers must also be questioned IE:The animal cost ,feed costs ,vet costs ,mineral supplement cost and so on.............It may be 'cheaper' to pay someone to mow it for you,it will certainly be better for the animals overall health and well being.

As always I look forward to "any" comments for or against the topic ................................T.O.R.............................

 

[patandchickens]

Well, I'm not sure how seriously to take this "sheep as lawnmowers" thing. I think some people who are intending it just have no idea what sheep will do and but will quickly *realize* once they have sheep and thereafter if they keep them it won't be primarily as lawnmowers for normal suburban golf-course-style lawn; and the rest (the majority) are probably meaning something different than "lawnmower" than you may be thinking.

I mean, I think a lot of people don't mainly want their lawn mowed as such, they just either a) want something to keep a grassy area low and semi-tidy instead of it getting tallgrown and "field-y" and brushy, or b) they just plain want sheep and that's just a cute hobby-farm-y or suburban-y way of justifying it.

I guess you could say I use my sheep as lawnmowers (tho that is not why I got them or how I describe them), as I electronet them on parts of the backyard at times. My husband does appreciate not having to mow that part for the duration. However the *point* is more that it's food for the sheep so why not. Also I use them as mowers for the horse pasture -- "rotational grazing" if you want to be all fancy about it, but it really does boil down to having them chew down the uneven bits the horses won't eat, and having different parasites is an added bonus.

I can't imagine that anyone who wants a golf-course-like suburban lawn REALLY uses them primarily AS lawn mowers though, since they simply don't DO that (you end up with weeds, a somewhat uneven un-lawn-y look, and of course profuse quantities of sheep poo all over the place).

As far as needing to let a lawn run to seed... perhaps on some kinds of lawns you do, but most north american lawns don't, and anyhow would anyone really be keeping sheep entirely on one plot of grazing rather than rotating?

JMHO,

Pat

 

[freemotion]

I replied in your other thread about my pasture (speeding up diversity in a young pasture by bringing in local weed seeds and plants) but I will comment on my suburban lawn in the yard around my house.....as long as it is green, I'm happy! Although I don't water the lawn in drought, I save watering for the veg gardens and the flowers. The food plants are slowly taking over my lawn area, though, as I expand the borders of my gardens and plant more herbs, strawberries, raspberries, and this year it will be currants, gooseberries, and grapes.

 

[Beekissed]

I used mine as lawnmowers and quickly came to the knowledge that you are correct. My acre does not have the ability or diversity to support my sheep sustainably. This is one reason I shipped them back to greener pastures.

I realized that keeping them would defeat the purpose I got them for anyway and that my acreage was too small for me to do anything with intense grazing. To be fair to the breed and the sheep, they will thrive better on what a pasture has available and my breed do not do well on feed.

Decisions were made, sacrifices ensued, sheep are now happy. Lawnmower to get a new set of tires this spring.

 

[theawesomefowl]

We don't have a pasture, only a small overgrown area, and a huge lawn. I may be forced to use part of the lawn, if my dad will let me.....we do have 3.9 acres though...I really wish we had some REAL pasture!!!!

And we have this cool old dairy barn, but not much pasture. But I guess it'll work for only two sheep and a few pigs.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day and thank you for your considered replys,

The reason for this topic was to gauge the feelings of the forum on this subject,down here as you drive around rural villages and on the outskirts of larger towns it is not unusual to see one or maybe two sheep that are being kept for the purpose of "keeping the grass down",perhaps some of you may have observed this also..

It seems everyday there are "new"BYH'ers joining this forum and if they read this topic they may stop for a moment and consider ,before they rush out and purchase those 'cute' little lambs.

I am happy to get other views on the subject and thank you again for your responses so far.................T.O.R.

 

[freemotion]

We don't have a pasture, only a small overgrown area, and a huge lawn. I may be forced to use part of the lawn, if my dad will let me.....we do have 3.9 acres though...I really wish we had some REAL pasture!!!!

And we have this cool old dairy barn, but not much pasture. But I guess it'll work for only two sheep and a few pigs.

Sounds like goats would be ideal for your property....

---Goat Enabler Extraordinaire

 

[FarmerDenise]

We got goats and we don't have lawn. We did want to have something to keep the weeds down in the winter months and were willing to sacrifice part of our lot for summer pasture. We have electric netting and are rotating the goat pasture on our little farm (less than 1 acre) The goats are teaching us that they don't want to nibble the weeds down all that low. It is fairly easy to move the netting to include some new taller stuff and they go right for it.
We plan on rotating the pasture through our whole lot throughout the year.
If we had sheep, we would be doing the same thing. And I wouldn't keep just one sheep anymore than I keep just one goat, since they are both heard animals.
This is our first year with goats and we are on a huge learning curve

And Freemotion is a Goat Enabler Extraordinaire!!! She suckered me into it with Blackbirds help!!! Thank you to both of you!!!

 

[theawesomefowl]

We don't have a pasture, only a small overgrown area, and a huge lawn. I may be forced to use part of the lawn, if my dad will let me.....we do have 3.9 acres though...I really wish we had some REAL pasture!!!!

And we have this cool old dairy barn, but not much pasture. But I guess it'll work for only two sheep and a few pigs.

Sounds like goats would be ideal for your property....

---Goat Enabler Extraordinaire

Yes, but I LIKE sheep sort of better, and I want an animal that can produce something. I am a minor and don't want to use up my entire bank account on my animals! My REAL favorite species are Cattle, Sheep, and Pigs. I do like goats though! I wanted to get a cart goat to go with the sheep afterwards.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Well I definitely didn't get sheep to be lawn mowers, but we do use our "lawn" as part of our pasture in the summer. We've got a very small acreage (as in 1 acre total, and I probably graze half that ) and I keep 2 ewes and a doe. At peak animal load I can have a doe and 2 kids, 2 ewes and 4ish lambs, plus perhaps a ram and buck. BUT, I use sacrifice lots so they're not totally destroying the pasture. When it's growing season, the grass does a pretty darn good job of keeping ahead of the animals, plus I rotate so it's not being over grazed.

This spring I plan on doing some seeding of annual rye for some quick growing forage to get more production from the acreage I do have. Last year I really meant to plant some wheat for spring grazing, but I never quite got around to it. :/