Rotational Grazing

Rotational Grazing

We have been using rotational grazing to feed our sheep and are working to get all the timing right between the various hay, grain, and nut crops and the sheep's needs for breeding, lambing, and growing. Rotational grazing offers us many benefits including:

	Excellent, natural feed for the sheep and provides them with a natural, free-range environment.
	Weed eradication without chemicals or mowing as they seem to prefer broad leafs and mustard above everything else.
	Promotion of good grasses and natural grains such as wild oats.
	Grass management without having to use any diesel to mow. We don't have to mow any orchards or pastures.
	Soil enhancement as the combined processes of grazing and "fertilizing" build up and improve the soil.

Below is a photo diary of the affects of the sheep grazing on the grasses and soil. The recovery of these grazing spots is amazing to me in particular when I compare it with areas that are grazed less often or are grazed exclusively by the poultry.

	Day 0 An area where we just put the sheep. They get busy munching very quickly.
	Day 1 An area where the sheep had grazed for a day. We had just moved the sheep from this area when I took the picture.
	Day 3 Sheep have been gone from this area for three days. Grasses are just starting to recover.
	Day 5 Sheep have been gone from this area for five days. You can see the growth particularly in the clover.
	Day 12 Sheep have been gone from this area for twelve days.
	Day 16 Sheep have been gone from this area for sixteen days.