Walking Water Ranch

As a sheep ranch we are constantly aware and adjusting the grazing patterns of our flocks.  Free grazing on large bodies of land seem to be a good idea at first.  One would think that a relatively small flock set out on a large parcel of land would have a minimal impact on the plants growth.  Unfortunately it is not so simple.  All grazers will eat the best and most tasty greens first.  I mean, who wouldn’t eat the choicest food.  Over time, this type of grazing produces a pasture with only undesirable forage plants and a stunted population of the more choice varieties.  On the other hand, a large flock that is pastured on too small of acreage will eat everything down to the root and devastate the land. 

That is where rotational grazing comes in.  The trick is figuring out the correct flock size for the size of paddock.  As grass density is hugely variable even within the same few acres, there is no one simple formula.

Here at Walking Water Ranch we have solved this issue with a portable paddock fencing system.  We have opted away from permanent fencing as it endangers and disturbs the patterns of the native wild life.  (article on wild life conservation coming soon)  After an area has been sufficiently (not overly) grazed, we shift the paddock to a new location and release 10-15 sheep into it.  Depending on the grass density it will take them 2-4 days to graze down.  The rest of the flock is released and graze around the perimeter of the mobile paddock.  This works for us as we are able to move the paddock less frequently and as our flock will stay close together we are able to control where the entire flock grazes without having to fence them all in.

Our land has a thriving and diverse native grass population and it is a priority to maintain those grass communities that have managed to survive.  We have set aside certain portions of our land that we have identified as mostly native grasses with a low productivity for grazing.  These areas will not be grazed except for the purpose of fertilizing the land.  Some grazing is a part of the natural cycle as the traditional, wild grazers would have spent time in these meadows if the farms and fences hadn’t all been built in the area.  We do have a few deer, though I suspect the number is nothing like it once was.  After the critical seed production and germination times are over, from early May to late July.  We will pass the flocks over the land to eat the standing hay and so disperse their fertilizer.  Grazing in these areas will always be light and done with care.

Years ago our land was plowed and mowed as a dry hay field.  With the aid of a range conservation expert we have been able to identify the areas where the native grasses have been disturbed and the pasture grasses such as Kentucky Bluegrass or “white-man’s footprint” have grown.  These areas are where our rotational grazing system is most implemented. 

My grandfather once told me that to judge when a field has been grazed down enough you must simply walk out into it.  If the grass is as tall as your toe then it is time to take the animals off.  When the grass grows as high as the top of your boot then it is time to put the animals out to graze.  This is referred to as the 10/2 rule.  It’s not as simple as that, though I do like to walk out and inspect the fields.  I try to be sure that there is enough grass left for organic material as well as regrowth.  Animals will not graze even the smallest paddock evenly and so one must be careful not to allow them to graze the land down to dirt.

I’ve noticed that sheep tend to walk up hill as they graze.  This results in the up hill portion of a paddock being more heavily grazed.  Attempting to lay out the paddock in such a way as to eliminate a slope is advantageous, however difficult on a hilly ranch such as ours.  Frequent rotation and careful maintenance is the key to successful grass conservation on any farm.