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Amy Dunnington and David Borkman,
Gilbert Stuart Road,
North Kingstown, RI
Setting: The
farm currently raises between 6 to 10 sheep, four sheep dogs
(trained as working herd dogs), and 12 layer hens. The home
farm contains
about one acre of land, with about 1/3 acre available
for grazing. The farm also has access to about 4 acres of
pasture land located one mile away and historically used
about 0.5 acre of neighboring land for additional pasture.
The farm also has a vegetable and flower garden (about 1,400
sq. ft.)
which
is
planted
to
a winter
rye cover crop in the fall and receives compost made from
chicken and sheep manure and bedding collected during winter
months. The home is served by a private
drinking
water well.
Area 1: pasture
and animal waste management
The
owners have been renovating the pastureland over the last
two years to improve forage species, forage quality and
quantity. Lime and fertilizer have been applied based on soil
test results. White
clover has been seeded to improve
soil fertility and pasture protein and palatability. Portable
electranet fencing and portable battery fence chargers
are used to
manage
the
sheep grazing
on a rotational or management intensive basis. The layer
hens have been raised in a coop with a small, permanent
fenced yard and the manure and bedding are composted for
use in the vegetable garden.
October
2003, moving the sheep to a new paddock, adjacent neighboring
land. |
Goals:
April
- October: Continue to improve the management
and placement of grazing animals
to improve desired forage species, forage quality
and quantity, as well as the utilization of manure
and nutrients to protect water quality. Additional soil
tests will be collected over smaller management areas
to
monitor
and
amend soil
fertility
as needed. The sheep will be rotated between the home
farm and the available pasture located 1 mile away. This
will allow the pasture area at the home farm to rest and
re-grow. Making use of neighboring land that is available
for grazing also reduces feed costs.
Electranet fencing for sheep -- electrified netting
This fencing system is portable and is key in allotting
the amount of pasture forage needed over a given residency
time.
The owners generally use a two day residency time
which requires a rough paddock sizing of 65 to 75
feet square (up to 5,625 sq. ft. ) when grazing all
10 sheep together. The key with this system of grazing
is that paddock size can be changed as needed to provide
the required feed for the given residency time while
minimizing undergrazing or overgrazing. Paddock sizing
will change based on the number of animals being grazed,
the grasses present within the paddock
area, the effects of improvements being made, soil type,
current
weather
conditions and time of year. |
The
immediate forefront shows where the sheep grazed prior
to the current fenced paddock. The area to the topleft
of the photo shows where the sheep will move to next.
July 2003. |
White
clover, introduced in the previous year to enhance soil
fertility and pasture nutrition and palatability. Care
must be
taken to prevent bloat in ruminants such as sheep and
cows. White clover should not populate more than 40%
of the pasture. July 2003 |
pasture
area recently clipped to eliminate ungrazed clumps
and promote new leaf growth, July 2003 |
intellishock
20B battery powered fence charger system using a rechargeable
12 volt car battery -- it is very important that fence
chargers are properly grounded and operating so that the
animals respect the fence. |
The
car battery is heavy and needs frequent re-charging.
|
Solar
panel and 9-volt dry cell battery (to be used once) was
installed in August 2003. The dry cell battery is much
lighter to carry and does not require recharging. The
solar panel will increase the life of the battery. |
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Grazing
poultry: The owners began to graze their
poultry during the 2003 grazing season as part
of this project. The benefits include a more uniform
balance
and
dispersal of poultry manure over the land available,
as well as natural pest control--both with grubs
in the soil and pasture parasites that can affect
the sheep (by scattering the sheep manure and exposing
it to the sun). The recommended management is to
follow up the sheep
paddocks with
the poultry
where
feasible.
In the case of layer hens, this also results in
the need for a moveable coop. Bird predation from
hawks and other birds of prey can be an issue with
this system. Periodic soil testing should be conducted
to monitor nutrient levels in the soil.
poultry
net fencing -- electrified netting designed for grazing
poultry.
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For more information about grazing managment
Livestock
Pastures, Fencing, and Watering on Small Acreages: Protecting
Water Resources and Health, Fact
Sheet 3 of our small
acreage livestock series
USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service; Warwick, RI
office, (401) 828-1300
The
Northeast Grazing Guide -- Northeast Pasture Research
and Extension Consortium
The
University of Vermont Center for Sustainable Agriculture Vermont
Pasture Network
Small
Acreage Livestock Education Program
Pet Waste Managment --
sheep dogs
The
sheep dogs occupy a small fenced yard immediately behind
the house when they are not in the pastures. The
owners would collect the solid dog waste from the fenced
yard about once each week and dispose of it in the trash.
Due to the well drained soil conditions on the farm,
the owners were willing to try an in-ground dog waste
disposal system that works much like a septic tank.
For
more information: Pet
Waste and Water Quality Protection
Area
2: runoff management and home made rain barrels
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