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SHEEP-fed-barely-sprouting-fodders, page : 46
Forage plants:
Forage plants store extra energy in their roots. This stored energy can be used later on to jump-start new growth after the leaves have been grazed down or to make the first spurt of spring growth after winter sleep. If the plant is over grazed, the plant will keep drawing on its stored energy in its roots to grow new leaves until the energy supply is exhausted and the plant finally dies.
GRAZING
The traditional way to raise sheep is to put the animals out to pasture at the beginning of the season and let them stay there until the grass is no longer support them. This traditional way is known as "set stocking". The drawback is the pasture becomes both overgrazed and, under-grazed because of the sheep, how can this be? Well, sheep know and eat what they like best and leave plants that are unappealing uneaten! So what you get is some plants being eaten continuously while others are just left there to grow. Strange as it may see, the result of both overgrazing and undergrazing is identical because the plants lose energy and do not perform to their full potential, not withstanding that the plants die.
Managed grazing:
Managed grazing is also known as "rotational grazing", "intensive management grazing" or "planned grazing". It entails controlling your flock's access at grazing time, thereby optimizing the peak performance of the plants, which of course leads to better quality animals.
The best way to manage grazing is to subdivide your pasture into smaller pieces – these are called "paddocks" - and move the sheep from one paddock to another paddock in order to give the current grazing area a rest and chance to grow back. There is another advantage to this, and that is many parasite larvae will die before the flock returns.
It may take a little time for you to master, but the payoff is well worth the effort. Ask your neighbors for advice as to what plants best suit your area.
Some forage plants such as alfalfa, do not tolerate the pressure of continuous grazing that occurs in a "set-stocked" pasture, but will do so for a short period. Then, there are other desirable forage plants that grow much better when grazed hard and then given a rest. Managed grazing gets your sheep to eat better than they would do on a "set-stocked" pasture. Sheep enjoy fresh pasture that hasn't been trodden upon and by using this method of grazing they are kept on fresh pasture.
Timing the movement of a flock:
Timing is the key to managed grazing. Sheep should be moved from their current paddock before 50 to 60% of the forage has been grazed off. This is because most forage plants attain their maximum vigor and growth when no more than 60 percent of their leaf surface is removed during any grazing period. To simplify, if you put sheep into a paddock and the forage
Forage plants store extra energy in their roots. This stored energy can be used later on to jump-start new growth after the leaves have been grazed down or to make the first spurt of spring growth after winter sleep. If the plant is over grazed, the plant will keep drawing on its stored energy in its roots to grow new leaves until the energy supply is exhausted and the plant finally dies.
GRAZING
The traditional way to raise sheep is to put the animals out to pasture at the beginning of the season and let them stay there until the grass is no longer support them. This traditional way is known as "set stocking". The drawback is the pasture becomes both overgrazed and, under-grazed because of the sheep, how can this be? Well, sheep know and eat what they like best and leave plants that are unappealing uneaten! So what you get is some plants being eaten continuously while others are just left there to grow. Strange as it may see, the result of both overgrazing and undergrazing is identical because the plants lose energy and do not perform to their full potential, not withstanding that the plants die.
Managed grazing:
Managed grazing is also known as "rotational grazing", "intensive management grazing" or "planned grazing". It entails controlling your flock's access at grazing time, thereby optimizing the peak performance of the plants, which of course leads to better quality animals.
The best way to manage grazing is to subdivide your pasture into smaller pieces – these are called "paddocks" - and move the sheep from one paddock to another paddock in order to give the current grazing area a rest and chance to grow back. There is another advantage to this, and that is many parasite larvae will die before the flock returns.
It may take a little time for you to master, but the payoff is well worth the effort. Ask your neighbors for advice as to what plants best suit your area.
Some forage plants such as alfalfa, do not tolerate the pressure of continuous grazing that occurs in a "set-stocked" pasture, but will do so for a short period. Then, there are other desirable forage plants that grow much better when grazed hard and then given a rest. Managed grazing gets your sheep to eat better than they would do on a "set-stocked" pasture. Sheep enjoy fresh pasture that hasn't been trodden upon and by using this method of grazing they are kept on fresh pasture.
Timing the movement of a flock:
Timing is the key to managed grazing. Sheep should be moved from their current paddock before 50 to 60% of the forage has been grazed off. This is because most forage plants attain their maximum vigor and growth when no more than 60 percent of their leaf surface is removed during any grazing period. To simplify, if you put sheep into a paddock and the forage