Several years ago we worked with Linda Hardesty of WSU's Department of Natural Resource Sciences on a LISA grant to study the potential of using sheep to control under story growth in a mature cherry orchard. The pasture treatments were - 1. what existed naturally, 2. a planted mixture of orchard grass and Bird's foot trefoil. Grazed and non-grazed plots were set up for each treatment. You should contact Linda ([EMAIL PROTECTED] ) for more advice on forage for sheep in an orchard setting for Western Washington.
A larger part of the experiment for us was convincing sheep not to eat cherry foliage. Those efforts included barriers (movable pens, fencing, head elevation restrictors for the sheep) and aversion training (similar to what some alcoholics might endure to wean themselves from the bottle). We only had problems with debarking when the animals were allowed to stay in the orchard for extended periods of time. It was best only to allow them in the orchard for short feeding cycles. Bedding down was best allowed in a nearby pen. All in all, it was a very interesting study. However, in the end I found the effort more than the wool and meat were worth. I valued my trees as significantly more important than the small livestock operation. Someone else might figure out a better way. Linda tells me she knows of a few growers who allow sheepherders to sweep their flocks through large orchards in the fall to clean up weeds, leaves and fruit drops. Bill Howell Yakima Valley, WA ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stina Booth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Apple-Crop" <apple-crop@virtualorchard.net> Sent: Saturday, January 03, 1970 3:54 AM Subject: Re: Apple-Crop: Referral needed > I tried sheep under my full sized pear trees, and ended up having to > put fences around each tree as the sheep were climbing up in the tree > to eat the young fruit and the leaves. I pulled the sheep before they > could girdle the bark. I got mixed results as far as mowing, and as I > am an orchardist, not a livestockist, the sheep were small when they > went to slaughter. Maybe others have had better results, but I found > it cheaper and easier to buy lamb from my neighbor, and continue to use > my mower in the orchard. Best of luck. > > Stina Booth > Booth Canyon Orchard > Twisp, Washington > On Friday, June 22, 2007, at 08:02 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > Hello Listers: > > > > Can anyone refer me to a turf specialist in USDA Extension so that I > > can find these answers? > > > > There was a USDA SARE project completed a number of years ago which > > demonstrated the potential to take income from two farm enterprises: > > Trellised tree fruit grown over a grass orchard floor grazed by Sheep. > > Sounds impossible, I know, but it was successful as well as organic, > > and it reduced floor maintenance considerably. > > > > What I would like to know is what was/were the grass(es) used. Here > > is why. Sheep are vulnerable to endophyte toxicity which is common in > > some grass species, therefore the species/varieties of grasses must be > > endophyte free. I suspect the answer will be one or more of the rye > > grasses which I understand are used for grazing in New Zealand. It > > needs also to be hardy in Zone 6-7. > > > > I would also hope that any such endophyte free grass(es) be something > > more manageable than the heavy producing forage varieties used for > > green chop and hay production so that it is possible to use power > > mowers if necessary, esp. as the harvest season approaches after the > > sheep have been pulled off. > > > > Thanks you kindly! > > D. Del Boca > > N.W. Washington State > > > > > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ---- > > > > > > The 'Apple-Crop' LISTSERV is sponsored by the Virtual Orchard > > <http://www.virtualorchard.net> and managed by Win Cowgill and Jon > > Clements <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. > > > > Apple-Crop is not moderated. Therefore, the statements do not > > represent "official" opinions and the Virtual Orchard takes no > > responsibility for the content. > > > > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- - > > > The 'Apple-Crop' LISTSERV is sponsored by the Virtual Orchard > <http://www.virtualorchard.net> and managed by Win Cowgill and Jon > Clements <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. > > Apple-Crop is not moderated. Therefore, the statements do not represent > "official" opinions and the Virtual Orchard takes no responsibility for > the content. > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The 'Apple-Crop' LISTSERV is sponsored by the Virtual Orchard <http://www.virtualorchard.net> and managed by Win Cowgill and Jon Clements <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. Apple-Crop is not moderated. Therefore, the statements do not represent "official" opinions and the Virtual Orchard takes no responsibility for the content.
