Questions on pasture feeding the sheep

[soarwitheagles]

Well, here we are 23 days later and I still have not completed our pasture fences. Combination of extra work, emergency surgery, and just too darn tired.

I do have a new question:

When should I permit the clover plants to flower and seed so these plants will reappear next year?

I have been mowing the pastures every 2-3 days, cutting the plants to 3". Then, I give the collected mowings to our sheep and they absolutely love it.

My neighbors all think I am nuts...as in, what is he doing? Mowing his pastureland instead of having his sheep feed on it?

I am mowing for the following reasons:

1. I would like the sheep to become acquainted with eating these greens before turning them out to pasture.
2. I would like to avoid grass, legumes, brom, chickory, etc. growing over 2 feet high.
3. I still have not completed the fencing so I cannot let our sheep out to eat from the pasture yet.

Is ok for me to be mowing the pasture so often?

Please share you thoughts.

Thank you,

Soar

 

[Latestarter]

Sorry to hear you (or a close other) had to do emergency surgery... Hope all is well and recovery is well underway.

I can definitely relate to "too darn tired"! I'm contemplating my move this summer and hoping I can find the energy to do everything I can/need to do to make this place marketable and get everything taken care of to go through with it... It would be so much easier to just keep on keeping on, but would NOT be in my best interests. I need to get out of here.

Can't answer your pasture questions, but maybe you can lift your mower deck to the highest setting and let the vegetation get a little more "leggy". Least there'll be more there for your animals to eat once you get the fencing complete and set them free to eat it.

Alluding to earlier posts, I understand the weather in CA, but how any of you common sense folks can abide by the politics and taxes and sheer stupidity in charge out there... simply astounds me. They say "as goes CA, so goes the country" and there are so many CA folks have moved here, part of the reason I'm moving out. crazy... Anyway! Hope all continues to improve for you.

 

[soarwitheagles]

Sorry to hear you (or a close other) had to do emergency surgery... Hope all is well and recovery is well underway.

I can definitely relate to "too darn tired"! I'm contemplating my move this summer and hoping I can find the energy to do everything I can/need to do to make this place marketable and get everything taken care of to go through with it... It would be so much easier to just keep on keeping on, but would NOT be in my best interests. I need to get out of here.

Can't answer your pasture questions, but maybe you can lift your mower deck to the highest setting and let the vegetation get a little more "leggy". Least there'll be more there for your animals to eat once you get the fencing complete and set them free to eat it.

Alluding to earlier posts, I understand the weather in CA, but how any of you common sense folks can abide by the politics and taxes and sheer stupidity in charge out there... simply astounds me. They say "as goes CA, so goes the country" and there are so many CA folks have moved here, part of the reason I'm moving out. crazy... Anyway! Hope all continues to improve for you.

LS,

Excellent post! Yes, the emergency surgery was on me. Good news is I am feeling a lot better, and no longer on planet Jupiter due to the pain meds before, during, and after the surgery...

I do keep my mower on the highest settings, or near the highest settings. The pasture is now often growing .5-1" inch per day, depending upon how much sun we have. So I am not too worried about the animals having enough to eat after fence installation. I figure if I wait 1-2 weeks after installing the fence, I should have pasture with grass and clover and the other mix at or near 7"-14" high. So I think it will work.

As for living in California...

Yes, I agree it is way over regulated.
Yes, the taxes are exorbitant.
Yes, there have been some incredibly foolish politicians that have made horrific decisions.

But there are lots of positive aspects of living here...

Nearly my entire family lives in California. Mom and Dad, brothers, ect.

Most of the classes I teach are comprised of incredible diversity, and the large majority of my students treat each other incredibly well [I am often the only white cracker in my class]! I am seeing people of incredibly diverse backgrounds getting along incredibly well. And I like that! Kinda feels like heaven on earth.

There is so much to do here. I can drive any direction for 2 or so hours and experience:

East-The lovely Sierra Nevada Mountains and the skiing, white water, mountain lake fishing, hunting of all sorts, Lake Tahoe, ect.
West-The lovely California beaches and surfing, fishing, beach bumming, San Francisco, Alcatraz Island, Pier 39,, etc.
North-Redwood tree forests, Clear Lake, Mt. Shasta, incredible forested areas everywhere, etc.
South-Yosemite, Monterey Aquarium, more beaches, etc.

Then there is the fact that I live in an area that is considered one of the best in the world to grow all sorts of fruit, nuts, and vegetables. Awesome climate here. I having been experimenting with growing vegetables outdoor year round and have been experiencing incredibly success. And with a little bit of irrigation, I think I can raise animals nearly cost free [running well motor would be the most cost and I think it would be minimal] year round. Man, it doesn't seem to get much better than that!

When I talk to my good friends in Wyoming, Chicago, Boston, etc. it makes it kinda hard to want to leave!

Soar

 

[Baymule]

Well, here we are 23 days later and I still have not completed our pasture fences. Combination of extra work, emergency surgery, and just too darn tired.

Soar

Oh boy! I can relate to that! We have one more stretch on the outside property line of 1,186 feet, then across the back another 200 feet to join the back fence already built. We got sidelined by DH's triple bypass heart surgery, followed by physical therapy, then dental surgery, followed by more tests, just had knee replacement surgery Tuesday. Start physical therapy Wednesday. In addition, we've had men here building a screened in 12'x54' porch, a 36'x36' barn, laying electric lines and water lines. I need some time off........but I'm not going to get it.........

 

[Baymule]

Well, here we are 23 days later and I still have not completed our pasture fences. Combination of extra work, emergency surgery, and just too darn tired.

Soar

Oh boy! I can relate to that! We have one more stretch on the outside property line of 1,186 feet, then across the back another 200 feet to join the back fence already built. We got sidelined by DH's triple bypass heart surgery, followed by physical therapy, then dental surgery, followed by more tests, just had knee replacement surgery Tuesday. Start physical therapy Wednesday. In addition, we've had men here building a screened in 12'x54' porch, a 36'x36' barn, laying electric lines and water lines. I need some time off........but I'm not going to get it.........

 

[soarwitheagles]

Oh boy! I can relate to that! We have one more stretch on the outside property line of 1,186 feet, then across the back another 200 feet to join the back fence already built. We got sidelined by DH's triple bypass heart surgery, followed by physical therapy, then dental surgery, followed by more tests, just had knee replacement surgery Tuesday. Start physical therapy Wednesday. In addition, we've had men here building a screened in 12'x54' porch, a 36'x36' barn, laying electric lines and water lines. I need some time off........but I'm not going to get it.........

Baymule,

Wow! You certainly do have your hand full, full, full!

I think I saw pictures of your place and it is so beautiful! So in the long run, I am sure you will be happy.

Southeast Texas...sounds interesting. May I ask which city? And also, how's the climate there?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Whoooeeeee Bay! I feel your pain... But, I know ya'll are gonna conquer! I had a run like that with my DH... First a car wreck where his car was totaled and he had 7 broken ribs on one side, another displaced rib on the other side and a broken hand which the ER docs totally missed... then a few months later he had a triple bypass also and now we're having his carotids and legs checked because he's having circulation problems. I'm sure there's more surgery in our future...ugh!

 

[Baymule]

@soarwitheagles actually we moved a year ago to northeast Texas. We live in a rural area north of Tyler, Tx. Our 8 acres are mostly wooded, was nothing here but a doublewide when we bought it. We have worked our tails off to get to where we are now. I sure would like to get all the infrastructure done and go to a "maintenance" mode! The climate here is hot with gusts of hot and partly cloudy/hot. Winters are mild with dips into the 20's, last year we had snow several times. The good part about that is that it snows, stays a day or three, then melts and goes away. We get 40-50 inches of rain, annually. The forests are lush, there is lots of agriculture here, cattle, hay, and Tyler is the rose capital of the world. (self proclaimed) There are greenhouses everywhere. Lots of plant nurseries covering acres and acres.

@frustratedearthmother DH had all his other arteries checked and came out clean. I hope your husband's tests all come out ok. And if they don't, it can all be fixed. I keep telling my DH that he is a classic car and we are replacing parts.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Ha, lol! Mine is definitely a classic! But, kinda wishing the original parts lasted a little longer...