The trouble with simple living is that, though it can be joyful, rich, and creative, it isn't simple. ~Doris Janzen Longacre


The best way to bring a sustainable change in the world around me is by bringing the change in myself



Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Planning a new enclosure for the sheep .... and planting a little feed for the sheep.


Wow with all this good rain and lots of sheep poo,it was time to do something about the yards, they needed to be rotory hoed and new seed planted. The area where the sheep are in the pic is were Des rotory hoed the soil. The seed mix consisted of native grass, jap seed, millet, oats, sunflower and two scoops of chook food.(no I am not expecting layer pellets to start growing but there are other seeds which is in the chook food) Now we just waiting for another downpour to settle the soil and seeds in. Des came over to help and had a great time working the rotory hoe. The soil looked so rich ... now it's grow seeds grow. A big thank you to Des!


Aunt Krissy asked in the last comments if we have a sheep shed. Last year was our first year of keeping sheep and chickens, we got a ram and 6 ewes (spur of the moment thing). Way too many for the space we have in Sydney, so they get feed a mix of pellets and other good stuff daily aswell. We had just renting part of a small holding with the landlord also living on the property. Before lambing season I had George and my son Neal build an enclosure for ewes and lambs. In hindsight I would have made it bigger with a yard around it and added another two bigger yards wrapped around them. This is what I have in mind for the new enclosure on our property at Lavender hill. There is also a piece of crown land next to our property, which we mow and this area we fenced off for our sheep to graze in. A little area with a ramp just high enough to load the stubbond sheep onto the trailer if they need to go anywhere. A bit like the old folk had for loading cattle.


Sheep shed this is how dark it is by the time we get home atm. Not a great fan of going to work in the dark and then coming home in the dark. Our days are so short still.

This is what the boys built for the sheep, it works well to keep the foxes at bay, nighttime they sleep inside, mornings they're let out. Why two gates ... just so we can rotates grazing a little. Nelson the ram lives in his own yard, next to the ewes, he intimidates them and me! I don't fancy a broken hip. I would like a storage area for feed and extra bails of hay and also a water tank. A nice big tree would be great too. No snow here so that is not a problem.

5 comments:

  1. Wow youve been busy! They do look like very happy sheep though!

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  2. Fox or coyotes don't bother full grown sheep in Wyoming, USA but they do kill their share of lambs. Guard dogs and llamas are use frequently to protect the flocks. Do fox bother your grown sheep?

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  3. Hi Holly We had a sick ewe about 2 months ago that was killed by foxes, Her guts was pulled out and her hind leg was chewed up. She must have died very slowly overnight. Not nice

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  4. Looks like an nice shed for night time. They look happy and content.

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  5. I think that is fine looking sheep shed. So you all plan on moving to Lavender Hill?

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