shepherd with attitude
Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design
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  • the grazing diaries

moving towards winter....reflections

4/10/2013

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......as we move beyond the autumn equinox and gradually see plant life dying back, its a good time to reflect on how the new grazing system has worked so far... I haven't 'measured anything in terms of quantities, growth etc, but from my own and various others observations the main outcomes have been that the grass has grown to a longer length, and with more species of herbage/flowers in it. In addition the sheep and cows have looked and seemed generally fitter, healthier and calmer. Sorting and selling lambs earlier this week, one thing that struck me was how similar sized (a good size) they were. Usually there would be a handful of smaller, weaker lambs at this time of year) Less positive observations are that the sheep/lambs still required dosing with chemicals to treat internal parasites, (though the cows needed none). In addition, some of the sheep have started jumping over dry stone walls to move into the next field in the rotation. Disability caused by injury has also meant I haven't been able to maintain managing the grazing system over the last month or so, meaning the sheep have had access to 4 different fields at the same time.
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So, the plan for the 'winter' (pagan/farming winter..when the grass stops growing ...ie from now), is to continue to move the sheep weekly, but to use an electric fence to back up the wall boundaries. About 30% of the land cant be used over the winter (due to fast flowing becks), and this increases to 60% in snow (deep drifts). This still leaves 3-4 separate fields though, with less sheep (the lambs have been sold now) and I will be using the cows on some of the land alongside the sheep as a 'flerd' Over all the results of the new system feel very encouraging and exciting and next summer (after lambing) I will start the new growing season by recording some specific measurements/species of plant/health of animals etc, to be continued throughout the year.
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The Grazing Diaries - Week 4

27/6/2013

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So in the 4 weeks since my new grazing plan began, I've really noticed now much calmer the flock seems in general. In the past at this time of year the sheep would be left on the same land for about 3 months now, only being disturbed for clipping time, so very much out the habit of having human contact. However now they are being moved to new pasture each week, (and observed in the field daily) they have become much tamer and have quickley got used to the moving routine, realising that there is a treat (fresh pasture) after being moved. The sheep look physically well, their fleece is 'lifting' ready for clipping, they have no evidence or internal parasites or lameness.
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last day grazing the small fields around the house
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'the Meadow' - week 5's grazing. This grass hasn't been rested so long (6 weeks), probably for about 35 years. Its amazing to see such an abundance of different meadow flowers, herbs and grasses being allowed to grow through for the first time in a long, long time....
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'the meadow'
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'the meadow' - in the last week, the vegetation has really thickened in the bottom of the growth.
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The Grazing Diaries - the first 2 weeks

15/6/2013

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So the initial plan is to move the flock onto fresh ground every week. I've divided the land into 8 'blocks' of roughly similar sizes but quite varied in terms of type and condition of land. Some of the land can't be used in poor weather (access during snow/heavy rain becomes impossible with a wide beck to cross), so the plan is a flexible one. Each day I'm checking the health and contentment of the sheep, along with how the land is looking. I anticipate that the first few months, and probably at least the first year will be very much trial and error, so regular observations are going to be vital to ensure neither land or animals suffer.


 I'll be writing more about why I have chosen this style of grazing management in a future post...but so far all good 
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on the move at the end of week 1
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calmly through the gate and heads down grazing
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the grass left as the flock moved to new pastures at the end of week one, they hadn't eaten a lot of the long and more fibrous grasses, but the grazed, sweeter vegetation wasn't grazed to the ground. some evidence of vegetation litter
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At the end of week 2 the sheep were moved again, this time to land which hasn't been grazed properly for about 30 years. the vegetation is harsh and long, but this year full of cotton grass that the sheep love
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'Pinky' (has a sister called 'Perky') -Shetland/Suffolk X -and her lamb, seem really fit and well, and content to be moved again to fresh ground
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ground cover prior to grazing on week 3
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The Grazing Diaries - getting started

1/6/2013

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1st June 2013, and after much thought, debate, doubt and now excitement, today I am starting a new system of the way I use animals to graze the land here. This is of course part of the bigger picture of using permaculture design to guide and influence my farming work (and life in general). Prior to today the sheep have spent most of the year grazing a series of fields amounting to about 100 acres in total, spending about 10 months on the same grass. For the last 2 years, (after replacing fencing to make the land secure), for the other 2 months the flock has grazed another 30 acre or so area of land, which is difficult to access in the winter. The Grazing Diaries aim to document and explore the new grazing system.
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Today the sheep were taken off this land, the grass is grazed down to the ground and the land is very compacted after many years of grazing like this
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More (rough) ground within the main grazing block
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The flock on their new grazing. this land has only been grazed for the last 2 years and only very lightly.
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the grass as the sheep are moved on to it
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    Katie

    A journal to document my designing about all things relating to grazing

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