Managing the north pasture

Developing a plan for improving and utilizing a small pasture on this evolving farmstead does not fit into any manual's list of to do's.

Our north pasture borders the home yard and the orchard. It does not have a permanent fence so for any grazing I need to run polywire on pounded in posts. If I do not get the posts in the ground in the spring or after a soaking rain, the pounding is almost impossible. With easier grazing in the orchard and fenced fields, the pasture can get ahead of me as it did this year, so the hay was cut, baled and stored. Eventually I did get the pasture fenced and the cows and sheep rotated over the ground about 7 weeks after the cutting.

With only 2 cows, a heifer, a calf and and a donkey and obligations beyond the farmstead, my rotations do not look like those described by Greg Judy and the Managed Intensive Grazing crowd. Because the donkey is very protective of the cows, the bovine and ovine cannot graze together in tight quarters and with so few large creatures there is not the dramatic trampling of grasses. Buying enough posts for small paddock creation is costly since they would have to go in when the ground was soft in the spring and stay in the ground through the grazing season. Eventhough I do not move the herd daily, I have seen an improvement in the density and diversity of the pasture over the last couple years.

Next May my pasture will host a wedding so cow pies and rough growth needs to be managed.This event is not covered in the manuals so I formulated my own plan. After removing the fencing, I mowed the field in the hopes that the cut stubble will mulch and improve the soil. Depending on the earliness of the spring, the pasture may need to be mowed, perhaps to be used as green chop or left to mulch the pasture.

Ram 0257

Why a scythe?

Choosing to buy a scythe is a rather radical choice in this land of Stihl and Deere yet it may be an appropriate choice for this small property. Beyond the reach of our farmer's haymaking equipment and electric fencing lines, pasture grass grows too tall for the lawn mower and string trimmer. We have avoided purchasing a brush hog because the benefit does not balance the cost, especially since we do not have a tractor to pull a heavy mower. Until now I have donned safety glasses, ear plugs, boots and gloves to run the weed trimmer along the bottom of the fence lines.  I have also gratefully borrowed a friend's heavy trimmer with harness and blade to attack the weediest lines. This hand numbing, ear ringing task is one of my least favorite jobs on the farm and I often avoid it until the electricity is being sapped from the  fence enegizer. In order to keep our aged string trimmer running well I need to learn small engine repair but I do not know if that is how I want to spend my limited farm time. Purchasing and using a scythe postpones small engine repair lessons and lessens my dread of fencerow clearing. 

My mornings of clearing the fencelines have been quiet with no strident motor to compete with farm sounds. Yes, the scythe has worked different muscles but the light blade does not strain my back and periodic honing of the blade gives me a chance to stretch and reposition. Removed from the mad dash to get as far along the fence perimeter as possible before the gas or string runs out, I have been able to check the hi tensile line, watching for areas that need tightening, and observe the sheep and cows in the field.

I have not attempted to clear a swath of grass on a bit of field, the fencerow clearing has been more pressing. Hopefully at some point I will mow with a rhythmic motion and the blade will whisper.

Mowing

There was never a sound beside the wood but one,

And that was my long scythe whispering to the ground.

What was it it whispered? I knew not well myself;

Perhaps it was something about the heat of the sun,

Something, perhaps, about the lack of sound—

And that was why it whispered and did not speak.

It was no dream of the gift of idle hours,

Or easy gold at the hand of fay or elf:

Anything more than the truth would have seemed too weak

To the earnest love that laid the swale in rows,

Not without feeble-pointed spikes of flowers

(Pale orchises), and scared a bright green snake.

The fact is the sweetest dream that labor knows.

My long scythe whispered and left the hay to make.

Robert Frost

Shelter

Over the years we have accumulated an assortment of animal shelters to accomodate different animals in our different pasture areas. The goat pen, built into the hill, outside the big field accomodates goat brousing the encroaching vegetation.

The poultry pens accomodate for small flocks, laying birds and winter protection.

Moveable pens are pulled into new locations with the help of our Subaru or golfcart.

The run in is situated in the lee of the hill, protected fom the winter winds.

Beautiful morning

Chores were a pleasure this morning -- sun is up, light breeze blowing,and pastures are lush. While I was bottle feeding Vanna the February lambs and their ewe, Queen Mab, ambled up to sniff the process. The Saxonies also came up to investigate, most likely wondering when their water and grain would be refilled. Under the last setting goose I can hear the chirps of goslings. Hopefully she has a few to add to the gaggle.

The four steadfast Buckeyes remain on their nests. If they successfully hatch chicks I hope to use the best chicks as replacement hens, to sell if I can find buyers for this heritage breed and to butcher for tender fryers.

Sheep flock in the back field

This weekend we were able to vaccinate and ear tag the lambs. Only one ewe was wormed since her gums were light in color. Vinnie our ram lamb was banded. Banding is a method of castration where we put a small rubber band at the base of the scrotum to cut off the blood supply. Based on Vinnie's playful antics after the procedure, I am pretty sure we were more distressed than he was. The oldest lambs and ewes also had their hooves trimmed.

Since the flock behaves as a unit, moving through the field together and waiting for the slower lambs, I moved them to a new pasture behind the boat barn. Using the Subaru I pulled the shelter to the field, hammered in fiberglass posts and strung two lines of polywire. The flock was easy to herd through a temporary corridor to the lush field. The sheep share this field with old, wrapped round bales, waiting to be moved to a new composting area at the edge of the woods.

The flock decreases and increases

On Wednesday morning Marilla ate too quickly and had a blockage of grain in her throat.  In spite of our best efforts she died. It happened so quickly. She had become an attentive mother so I was worried for her lambs. They refused bottles and started to eat more hay. Their cries were pitiful.

On Friday afternoon Maude finally had twins. The ram lamb was larger and stood pretty quickly and nursed. The ewe lamb was not able to stand up. Once in the lambing jug I made sure she nursed so she had the benefits of colostrum. Although I feed the sheep minerals with selenium I could not be sure that the lambs were not deficient so I gave them some selenium and vitamin E gel. It was hard to leave that frail lamb but I thought her best chance of survival was in the care of her mother. Maude was unwavering in her care, nickering, nudging and licking the lamb. On Saturday morning the ewe lamb was able to stand for short periods and nurse. Vanna is still weak and unsteady. She often falls but can keep up with the rest of the flock, especially since her mother is vigilant in keeping track of her. Both Vanna and her brother Vinnie have overbites which exclude them from being part of the breeding flock. Vinnie was wethered today and will keep our future ram company in the bachelor pen.

When Maude, Vinnie and Vanna were reintorduced to the flock there was much commotion.  The orphan lambs doggedly tried to steal milk and Maude just as adamntly kicked them away. Now all 5 sheep graze together. Maude attends to her lambs and allows the orphans to nurse.

Beef & Sheep on pasture

The Belites are in the blooming, apple orchard. The sound of the ripping grass is the only sound above the bees. Almost one year old Lily is in the foreground, her mother, Blair in the middle and Penny in the back. They are contained by one strand of electric fence. Hopefully calves will arrive in the next few weeks.

The sheep are in the large field, enclosed with 5 strands of hi-tensile wire. Queen Mab's ewe lambs were born on 2/15. Marilla's ewe lambs were born on 3/5. The sheep are eating the multiflora rose, probably in search of whatever minerals the deeper roots of the shrub mine.

Maude is still awaiting her lambs. Veronica, Marilla's lamb, poses in front.

Violet, 2 months old, loves to have her chin scratched.