Winter Grazing
December 31st, 2014 · No Comments · Posted in farming
Our animals aren’t deterred by freezing temperatures. They’ll continue to graze as long as there is grass to eat.
I only wish I’d been able to save more grass for the winter. Part of our management challenge is finding a balance between the number of animals we raise and the ability of our pastures to support them. That means improving pastures as well as culling the flock when necessary.
Typically, there’s more grass than we can handle when pastures are flush in the spring, and not enough during the heat of summer. The real trick is setting some pasture aside–“stockpiling”–at the end of the season to grow long for winter feeding. Even with snow on the ground, sheep will dig through it if there’s something to eat underneath.
We’d much rather have them graze than spend money on hay. Such is the puzzle the grazier must solve.
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