Sheep Eat My Grass Part 1 I don't like mowing.
With more than 10 acres of property to mow, the job takes way too much
time. But if we didn't mow, the weeds
would grow, sometimes out-competing the grasses. And then there was the fire danger and
defensible space to consider. The long
grass dries out at the end of summer and is a fire hazard. After countless hours of mowing over the
years, my wife and I figured we could stop mowing and turn the grass into a resource
instead of a problem. We decided to run
a few head of sheep on the property to keep the grasses down and potentially
have wool, animals or meat to sell.    The first
problem to overcome was a lack of fencing.
We had none. After doing a bit of
research, we decided on woven wire and "T" posts for the perimeter fencing. We chose woven wire rather than welded wire
because of the strength and durability.
We decided on portable, solar powered electric net fencing to delineate
the pastures inside the perimeter. There are several brands and styles to
choose from depending on the intended application. The advantage of using the portable electric fencing
is in the flexibility of being able to move the animals frequently in a
rotational grazing system without the expense of permanent fencing and being
able to use the perimeter fencing as one side of the enclosure. It not only keeps the livestock contained but
keeps the coyotes out as well. Depending
on your pasture situation, the type of grazing being done can be simple or
labor intensive. Continuous grazing on
one large pasture may work, but in our case with several small pastures mixed
with timber scattered throughout the property, a rotational grazing system is necessary. Sheep can also be used in prescribed grazing
situations on your own property and for hire for controlling weeds and reducing
fire hazard. There are lots of resources
on-line to help.   Simple
shelters that can be dismantled and moved fairly easily may be constructed out
of straw bales and plywood in minutes, providing both shade and cover from rain
and snow. We have 75 gallon heavy-duty
plastic tubs for water that are light and easy to move. Compared to the amount
of money spent on the purchase of a tractor and the maintenance and fuel for it,
(not to mention the hours mowing) setting up a sheep operation was relatively
inexpensive and easy. For more
information and advice on starting a small livestock operation, contact Pat
Munts, small farm program coordinator at the District. pat-munts@sccd.org or Walt Edelen, Water
Resources and Livestock and Land program manager. walt-edelen@sccd.org or visit
www.sccd.org And be sure to put September 28-29 on your
calendar for the Inland Northwest Small Farmers Conference at the Fairgrounds
in Spokane. If you are interested in home gardening, having chickens or raising livestock, you won't want to miss
it. |
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
No more mowing, sheep eat my grass!
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