The sheep are thoroughly enjoying being fed in the pasture!
It's been a week since I posted about feeding the sheep out on pasture despite the snow on the ground -- And now I have some exciting discoveries to share.
Thanks to @idyllwild for sharing some of her excellent photos for this post!
One of the most interesting things I learned is that the sheep are hardly drinking any water at all! Now that they are busy rummaging through the snow for little bits of alfalfa that they missed they are consuming large amounts of snow and quenching their thirst that way.
Normally I would refill their water twice a day. Now they hardly touch their water and it can go several days without needing to be refilled. This is seriously reducing the load on daily chores.
Yesterday I made another important discovery. As I was walking down to feed the sheep I saw a lot of green and thought the sheep weren't finishing up all of their alfalfa and maybe I'll need to cut down on the feed a bit.
But then I looked closer and realized what I was seeing was green grass not alfalfa!
Where the sheep had trodden and nibbled their alfalfa the snow was significantly mashed, some melted, some eaten. We had a span of time with no snow and some warmer days.
The rest of the field had no exposed grass, but here there was. As you can see the snow in the surrounding areas is at least 6 inches high.
In the sheep's paths I thought they had trodden down to mud. But as I looked closer it was manure mashed into the grass... perfect for fertility!
Well today there was some more snow and colder conditions froze the ground so the sheep didn't have immediate access to the grass anymore. But anytime there is some melting condition it will probably be revealed again. If not again before spring, at least come spring they will have earlier access to grass in these places.
The area they are being fed is moving outward day after day. The sheep are thoroughly enjoying it.. I think it is much more natural than standing around the barn day in day out.
And I think the pasture will see some improvement for it as well. I will continue rotating the hay around the field!
Great walkwithme post! Neat to share goings on in your life with us. Yiur heard is wonderful ❤ nice to notice the little things as the days pass. And, it is nice to have a bit of a break at chores! When i grew up we raised cattle. Which were kept at home during the winter. We would haul big round bales out to the pasture and roll them out similar to what you're doing. Cattle loved it. I noticed that but i bet it also helped with making the pasture more fertile. We always moved the bales around. I bet dad had a method to his madness afterall! I appreciate the opportunity to reflect ❤❤❤
Thank you for sharing that @yogajill!! I had listened to some podcast on permaculture voices maybe a few years ago. A new cattle ranch was featured and they had a lackluster pasture, so they were rolling out the hay to help improve the fertility, just as your dad did. That is where I got the idea, as well as some other similar comments from some mentors I had along the way. It's something you hear, and you know it should work... but there is nothing like trying it and seeing it first hand. Your dad sounds like a very smart and well meaning fellow!
Love the last photo of them all in a line. I like that you mentioned the effect they are having on the pasture. Keeping things as natural as possible always have the best long term benefits :)
Thanks! yeah I love that too :) Its psuedo mob-grazing without fences :P
Healthy looking critters. Their coats look plenty warm.
You bet! They are so warm, stick your hand in their wool and you will feel it radiating out, even in the snow or rain :)
Wonderful add on post to your other sheep in the snow article. Your system seems to work perfect! Happier and healthier sheep plus lees work as you dont need to bring them water.
Moritz Are you and @idyllwild friends? Or are you even sharing the farm? Wonderful photos taken! Keep it up.
Thanks for your kind words Moritz :) I am so glad to be able to work with the sheep like this, I am learning a lot! @idyllwild and I are partners and we are both work/trade on this homestead for a place to live. We plan to start our own homestead in the near future.
great work :) wee have alot of sheep at egypt :)
wow I had no idea! Thanks for sharing that.
Thank you for taking us with you to see the sheep, they look very healthy. Good job! The photos were charming.
I appreciate you saying that! Thank you! I hope they are healthy as most of them are pregnant! So I am glad to get them moving around again :)
Wow these sheep are absolutely stunning! :)
Beautiful sheep! Are they Shetlands?
Thanks! I won't take credit though as they are not mine, but I get to work with them every day :) They are Border Leicester
Great idea! I agree, much healthier for them to be out and about grazing than standing in the barn. Very cool how they are eating the snow and finding the grass underneath!
Beautiful photos, by the way! ♥
Thank you @squishysquid! Yeah I really enjoy seeing them out in the field every day. And it's a nice way to start the day out in the field myself with a 360 view, rather than mucking around next to the barn :P Thanks!!
Nice photos! I especially love the first one. I have thought about getting sheep one day, but for now the goats keep me pretty busy. What kind of sheep do you have? Do you feed them purely alfalfa? Or is it a grass mix? Thanks for sharing! :)
Thanks for saying that wisewoof! The breed is Border Leicester. On this homestead I work for they are being fed pure alfalfa at the moment. Other homesteads I have worked with feed alfalfa and supplement with some grain and malted grain. I have worked with farmers that also supplement with some seaweed for diverse minerals. I have worked with dairy goats on a few farms and really enjoy their personalities and quirks!!
look smart sheep