Our flock grazes in pasture but also has other feed sources.
We feed some hay every day, year-round. Pasture conditions vary greatly depending on the time of year and having steady nutrition helps keep the flock in good health. In the times when the fields are brown and the nutritional content of the pasture forage is low, orchard grass hay provides fresher, greener food. In times when new grass is lush and bright green, orchard grass hay provides dry matter that helps prevent bloat. We also give a small daily amount of alfalfa hay. Its nutrient density helps build lustrous fleeces, and the animals love it.
We also feed BarAle Sheeper Complete Pellets daily. These help the animals stay in great condition and help prevent urinary tract calculi, which occur sometimes in wethers, and can be fatal. We boost nutrition with brush cuttings from around the farm, like oak, rose, and blackberry.
Finally, we feed tasty little animal cookies as part of our ongoing relationship-building and training program with the flock. These rewards bring status, affirmation, and comfort to the animals. Our rewards programs build trust with the animals and ease the way for body care, loading and unloading, transhumance, and much more.
Weights and Measures
In January 2021 our flock receives these other feed sources:
| Extras | Lb/day |
| Orchard Grass + Alfalfa Hay | 12.80 |
| Sheep Keeper Complete Pellets | 2.80 |
| Animal Cookies | 0.63 |
| Total extra food (not pasture) daily | 16 |
All this extra food makes the animals a bit portly and takes away some of the pressure they can apply to the land through grazing. But for us, the animals’ improved health and well-being, and the increase in ease of our relationships with the animals, counterbalance that disadvantage of giving extra food.
Going back to the January 2021 weight-based daily need of the flock for 33.6 lb of dry matter feed/day, this means that the flock need 33.6 lbs. – 16 lbs. = 17.6 lb./day of pasture forage.
In January 2021 with this understanding, we are finally able to begin to plan rotational grazing with a plan. Amy made a tool to help with planning, an Excel spreadsheet to translate these “big picture” calculations into the “day-to-day decisions” about where to put the flock to graze.