No single specie of plant is perfect

1
Sheep Pastures

• No single specie of plant is perfect
• Management is more critical because
• of sheep's ability to graze close

2
Methods of increasing forage production

• Change forage specie
• Incorporate legumes
• requires rest
• Improve soil fertility
• Rotationally graze
• Implement controlled grazing
• Root reserves
• Sunlight capture
• Seasonal
• Develop a year round grazing plan
• Example grazing plan
• April rye

3
Plant growth characteristics

• Root reserves
• Sunlight capture
• Seasonal
• Develop a year round grazing plan

4
Example grazing plan

• April rye
• May-June very intensive on permanent
  pasture
• July-September Permanent pasture with hay
  fields in the rotation

5
Example grazing plan

• October-December Crop residue
• Brassicas
• Turnips
• Rape
• Typhon
• January-March Crop residue
• Stockpiled forage

6
Internal Parasite Control

• Intensive grazing may
• increase or decrease problems
• Animals do not graze as close
• Improved nutrient content and availability
  reduces effect of internal parasites
• Rotations may help break the cycle

7
Electric fence

• allows pasture management
• An effective electric fence must
• adequate power from energizer
• adequate ground
• adequate wire mass
• workmanship

8
Electric fence

• Number of wires
• Depends on the breed
• Predator control
• Cheaper than traditional fence
• Level of containment