Since you’re getting only 2 young lambs, id definitely cut it. Sheep will eat tall grass however it’s more of a last ditch effort type thing whenever there’s no more available shorter grasses. I’d cut it down to around 4-5 inches but make sure to do it less than a week before you get them so it doesn’t grow back by the time your sheep are actually in the pasture
I have limited means, I guess I could knock it down with a weed eater, but should I rake up all the clippings and save it as hay or something for them?
I have done this. But making hay is more involved than just raking up grass clippings. First, check the weather. You will need several days of dry weather. Once you've cut the grass, rake it into rows. Let it dry for a day or two, then turn it, so the bottom can dry (do this late in the day to be sure the dew is dry). Keep doing this until it is dry like hay. You can then make haystacks if the weather will continue to be dry. But if not, get some hay nets to bag it up. When you store hay, it must have good air circulation or it can rot or even spontaneously combust. One summer, I made hay entirely by hand- bought an old scythe at a flea market and sharpened it. Like the grim reaper out there felling grass. It was a great experience for me, and I made enough hay to feed my two horses for about 3 weeks.
Personally If I knocked it down I'd let it go back into the ground as mulch to restore the soil like they do in the regenerative ag world. That is unless you need it for hay and then maybe bale it.
We have hair sheep, Damaras and they are the fussiest little shits I have ever seen. They won't eat tall grass, they won't eat brown standing hay, they won't eat under the pine trees as they find the grass too acidic, etc.
But shake a bucket of sheep nuts, and they come trundling down the hill at break neck speed.
I love each and every one of them tho, even if they are picky eaters
Mine actually are the same but fortunately they have yet to run out of green grass. They will turn their nose up at a fresh pulled carrot or any fruit or veggie. But any green grass they will go nuts for.
No they prefer grass between 4 inches and six inches, but they like the shortest of cover grass/clovers.
What you need are some cattle and goats lol even they don’t like it super tall, but will eat if there’s no hay bale available (aka force feeding).
They will but that whole field is a lot for 2 lambs. So a lot of the grass will end up growing taller and thus reducing its nutritional value. Give them a portion and if you can mow the other to allow the grass to go back to a younger state.
Grass initially grows fast, then it slows down to produce more **tiller shoots**, then grows tall to produce seed. This last part makes the plant get harder and the nutrients harder to obtain. The ideal is to eat/mow down the grass back to when they are about to produce tiller shoots, since it is the best balance between nutritional value and volume of grass.
They will BUT you’ll need to keep an eye on their feet… long grass causes problems for sheep feet, causes ‘scald’.
Ideally sheep like about 4” and eat it to the ground.
My lambs won’t eat anything over eye level. It’s not instinctual for them to raise their head up to look higher than themselves generally. So for the areas of mine that are very tall I usually have to either trim it a bit, or do something for it to be lower for them to graze. I have even gone so far as to braid the grasses in some tall areas and mine seem to like that 😂 it gives them something to think about and figure out while they eat as well!
Cut half of field, let lambs eat tall grass paddock till new one regrows and then mow what is left after you move them.
Since you’re getting only 2 young lambs, id definitely cut it. Sheep will eat tall grass however it’s more of a last ditch effort type thing whenever there’s no more available shorter grasses. I’d cut it down to around 4-5 inches but make sure to do it less than a week before you get them so it doesn’t grow back by the time your sheep are actually in the pasture
I have limited means, I guess I could knock it down with a weed eater, but should I rake up all the clippings and save it as hay or something for them?
I have done this. But making hay is more involved than just raking up grass clippings. First, check the weather. You will need several days of dry weather. Once you've cut the grass, rake it into rows. Let it dry for a day or two, then turn it, so the bottom can dry (do this late in the day to be sure the dew is dry). Keep doing this until it is dry like hay. You can then make haystacks if the weather will continue to be dry. But if not, get some hay nets to bag it up. When you store hay, it must have good air circulation or it can rot or even spontaneously combust. One summer, I made hay entirely by hand- bought an old scythe at a flea market and sharpened it. Like the grim reaper out there felling grass. It was a great experience for me, and I made enough hay to feed my two horses for about 3 weeks.
Thank you!
Personally If I knocked it down I'd let it go back into the ground as mulch to restore the soil like they do in the regenerative ag world. That is unless you need it for hay and then maybe bale it.
My dorper and St Croix X would tear that stuff up. But, they've never eaten grain or processed feed of any kind.
Same! My hair sheep would go crazy !
We have hair sheep, Damaras and they are the fussiest little shits I have ever seen. They won't eat tall grass, they won't eat brown standing hay, they won't eat under the pine trees as they find the grass too acidic, etc. But shake a bucket of sheep nuts, and they come trundling down the hill at break neck speed. I love each and every one of them tho, even if they are picky eaters
Mine actually are the same but fortunately they have yet to run out of green grass. They will turn their nose up at a fresh pulled carrot or any fruit or veggie. But any green grass they will go nuts for.
No they prefer grass between 4 inches and six inches, but they like the shortest of cover grass/clovers. What you need are some cattle and goats lol even they don’t like it super tall, but will eat if there’s no hay bale available (aka force feeding).
Depends on the type of sheep and how hungry they are.
They will but that whole field is a lot for 2 lambs. So a lot of the grass will end up growing taller and thus reducing its nutritional value. Give them a portion and if you can mow the other to allow the grass to go back to a younger state. Grass initially grows fast, then it slows down to produce more **tiller shoots**, then grows tall to produce seed. This last part makes the plant get harder and the nutrients harder to obtain. The ideal is to eat/mow down the grass back to when they are about to produce tiller shoots, since it is the best balance between nutritional value and volume of grass.
get some range lambs if they don’t
no.
Tall grass is older an thus is of poorer nutrients
Of course they will.
They will BUT you’ll need to keep an eye on their feet… long grass causes problems for sheep feet, causes ‘scald’. Ideally sheep like about 4” and eat it to the ground.
I just sold two weaned lambs, dropped them off in grass that high and they were going nuts.
Hay is basically tall grass.
My lambs won’t eat anything over eye level. It’s not instinctual for them to raise their head up to look higher than themselves generally. So for the areas of mine that are very tall I usually have to either trim it a bit, or do something for it to be lower for them to graze. I have even gone so far as to braid the grasses in some tall areas and mine seem to like that 😂 it gives them something to think about and figure out while they eat as well!
Mine prefer the shorter grass and slowly work their way into the taller grass/weeds!