Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
away. Gradually increase the amount you leave for the sheep over a week or
so, because as they become accustomed to the fruit, they can eat quite a lot
without adverse effects.
Subdividing the Orchard
By subdividing the orchard with temporary electric fencing, as you would any
other pasture, you can limit access to the amount of fruit the sheep can get at
each helping and control the grazing as you would in any other paddock. On
our Minnesota farm, we had a 1-acre (0.4 ha) apple and plum orchard that
we subdivided into three paddocks with temporary fencing during the spring
and fall.
Apples that are in good shape when they hit the ground can be stored and
doled out well into the winter. If you opt to lamb in winter or early spring, you
may be able to save them until lambing and give them to the ewes as treats in
the lambing pens.
Protecting the Trees
If you decide to graze an orchard, you need to think about the trees as well
as the sheep. Any newly planted trees, and dwarf trees, must be completely
protected by a rigid fence or the sheep will inevitably eat them. Even with
larger trees, you'll fi nd an occasional sheep with goatlike habits, standing on
its hind legs and nibbling the branches and leaves. Sheep that spend a long
time in the orchard will start chewing on the bark of the trunks and can do a
lot of damage if you don't protect the trees, but if you're treating the orchard
as a paddock — or several paddocks — and moving the sheep through quickly,
this isn't a problem.
There are a couple of ways to protect your trees:
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Wrap the trunks with several layers of chicken wire or a single layer of
rabbit wire. Use baling twine or wire to secure these temporary cages to
the trees — don't permanently attach them or you'll damage the trees.
If you want to do the work only once, use three T-posts formed in a tri-
angle about 6 inches (15 cm) away from a trunk and construct a “fence”
of wire mesh around the tree. These fences can stand for years.
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Another temporary solution is to make “manure tea” from sheep drop-
pings and paint it on the trunks, but this needs to be repeated after it
rains.
