Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I do all my lawn mowing with sheep. You will get a high concentration of the things sheep do not eat. In my area that is stinging nettles and bull thistles.  Libby

-----Original Message-----
From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Val Tartaglino
Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2005 1:25 PM
To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [RC] Tending to Pastures

You might consider sheep rather than goats as a method of keeping pastures neat and weed free.  Sheep are not nearly as smart as goats and thus much less of a problem  keeping confined.  I have Katahdin sheep, which are a hair sheep and require no shearing - they shed naturally. They are very hardy, parasite-resistant, and excellent mothers.  The rams do not stink like billy goats and are very mild mannered. Most are polled. Being sheep, they are impervious to all but the most horrific weather conditions and do not require shelter at all in my part of the country, as long as they have some shade in the summer. As a bonus, if you suffer from dry cracked hands in the winter, you can also get a quick lanolin fix by petting a few of them. They eat everything the goats eat.   I got my sheep from a woman who is into organic farming - no chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides. She said it took 4-5 years for the sheep to basically  rid a pasture of weeds, fertilizing as they go.  Be warn ed, though - they multiply like rabbits!  I started three years ago with 4 ewes and a ram and now have over 60...

 

 

Val

K Bella Cosa Ranch

kbellacosa@xxxxxxxxxxxxx