Hi Bill:
Well, here you are from some of the best sheep and wool production
country in North America. Nice to have your comments. Certainly range
production and character of range flocks is quite different from the
production in the farm environment. I'd like to see the Spanish
halter. My guess is it is a tie from the typical sheep halter to a
neck collar that keeps the head from rising. They will get down on
there knees however, if push comes to shove - the grazing level of the
forage has gotten over grazed.
The USDA SARE project I referenced was for a small diversified farming
application though I can see its application for larger orchards
especially hi density types. The lowest branching tiers on the trellis
were at only 12 inches from the soil. Trunks were in tubes (as used
for string trimmer protection) between that lowest tier and the ground.
The sheep wore no anti-climbing devices (knee knockers) nor blinders
(as is used on rams to keep them from fighting). Electric fencing was
the key to deterring damage from sheep, and its location (within 6
inches or so) allowed the sheep to essentially reach to the centerline
of the row in order to keep the grass from grounding out the hot wires
and to maximize forage cropping.
With the loss of agricultural resource lands to oil crops, surface
mining, development, climatic change - rising waters, etc., I believe
we are going to need to utilize intensive methods such of this for
sustainability, hence my interest.
D. Del Boca
N.W. Washington State
On Monday, June 25, 2007, at 11:40 AM, Fleming, William wrote:
I recall years ago reading of what's called a Spanish halter used for
sheep grazing in orchards. What the halter did was to keep the sheep
from being able to look up. When they can't look up the only orchard
foliage they are able to eat is the very lowest hanging.
Bill Fleming
Montana State University
Western Ag Research Center
Corvallis, MT 59828
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bill Howell
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 11:10 AM
To: Apple-Crop
Subject: Re: Apple-Crop: Referral needed - orchards and sheep
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" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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
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<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
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<http://www.virtualorchard.net> and managed by Win Cowgill and Jon
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Apple-Crop is not moderated. Therefore, the statements do not represent
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