Sheep on Boggy Ground

TUBBY

Lads and Ladies

Quick one that you may be able to answer. I have approx 4 acres of bottomy (moory) ground that hasnt been grazed for last 2 years cause of the wet weather.
It would be dry during summer but still not good enough for a tractor. There is hardly any fall on it and it holds water cause it is peaty. Cattle would go to their knees in it when wet but I would leave feck all of a track (at worst over my shoe in some places but always dry next the river).

Anyway, I tried to reclaim a few years back but it is reverting back to bog cause it is not being grazed. Topped it this year so nice fresh grass now for the winter.

I was wondering would there be a breed of hardy sheep that would survive/ thrive in this ground if I grazed them there from April to Sept. Worried about hooze and footrot to be honest.

Never kept sheep but would be willing to fence it and try just to keep the ground from becoming useless.

Any advice (apart from saying to plant it:p) would be welcome.

ClimberC

Dont know if this is much help but on a farm i worked on there was a couple of boggy/rushy fields. they used to put some charlet and suffolk rams on it to graze. that being said there was always a good anound of solid ground (about 30%) for them to sleep on and graze during particularly wet spells.

it was a lot of work with the foot rot and maggots tho. and trying to get them out of the field was crazy as they kept running around the big clumps of rushes and the dogs couldnt keep on to them in the mud

Highland

If you can get sheep that are free from footrot you may be able to eliminate it altogether - you will need to quarintine the sheep you buy to ensure this happens.

Liver fluke would also be a big problem if the ground is as wet as you say it is - so again a good quarintine procedure using a number of effective flukicides would be important. you may need to keep the sheep somewhere else for up to two months to ensure they are not carrying any baggage - sounds like a lot of bother but will be worth it in the long run.

I would go with some of the hardier hill breeds - scottish blackface, cheviot or crosses with these two breeds

TUBBY

I was thinking that Suffolk might be the best job with the hardier feet but the hoose is the main thing I would be worried about like ye said.

would ye buy few cast ewes and let them graze it as they would be hardy or buy few store lambs next may/june and let them fatten.

Only reason i thinking of it is that its a sickener to see ground wasted. Took hay off it few years back but dead duck since.

TUBBY

Hi folks,

sorry for the obvious bump up of post but was hoping to milk yer experience and see if this is a runner.

Cheers
Tubby

epfff

TUBBY wrote: »

Hi folks,

sorry for the obvious bump up of post but was hoping to milk yer experience and see if this is a runner.

Cheers
Tubby

I agree with the cull ewe idea.
Important thing is not to buy them when they are at their peak and dont buy thin bad ewes as they will never thrive.you will need to keep minerals into them theough meal is best way I found of keeping feet right and keep them moving on

Highland

hoose is not a problem in sheep - liver fluke will be you biggest problem - I agree re thin cull ewes - usually shot so stay away from them

easymoney!

im trying to buy culls at the moment,, very very hard as the thins are making money even!!!
what your ideas on it ? should i just keep polling on til i get them?! but usually your left with a loss!!
what time of the year do they come in price and when are they more plentiful!

k mac

I am also thinking of getting a few sheep but have no experience with them what so ever.Main reason is i have 2 small fields about 2 acres each that i reseeded last year that have good grass but are unfortunately very wet so don t want to let cattle in to plough them. I thought this would save wasting the grass and would also thicken it up. Wouldn't mind if i only broke even with them, would have to fence 1 field so that would be a bit of cost. What should i get a few hardy ewes that i could fatten till next spring, also how many could i keep on 4 acres for the winter ?

fanadman1

TUBBY wrote: »

I was thinking that Suffolk might be the best job with the hardier feet but the hoose is the main thing I would be worried about like ye said.

would ye buy few cast ewes and let them graze it as they would be hardy or buy few store lambs next may/june and let them fatten.

Only reason i thinking of it is that its a sickener to see ground wasted. Took hay off it few years back but dead duck since.

dn't i repet dn't use suffocks !!!!!!!!!
there a soft oul b*****d of a sheep try a texel or ceviot 2 hardy breads
scotch blackface are good or some donegal/mayo hill ewes good if u wnt very low mantenice

roosky

k mac wrote: »

also how many could i keep on 4 acres for the winter ?

well this all depends as a rule of thumb sheep need a good run of ground but if its dry and you can control foot rot you could put a good few on it.........for example i have a good dry 4.5 acres and i have 35/40 ewes on it for winter now this is very heavily stocked as i hold ground for after lambing and they have two hay feeders with them and are footbathed every 8 weeks to prevent an outbreak of foot rot

eorna

stay away from culls..unless you are into numbers and know what you are at the WILL cost you money, dose regularly for liver fluke and should be ok with that, agree with texel/cheviot/for hardiness (lleyn good too)...should have some kind of pen to hold them and dose them footbath (if needed)...
what will give you a return is hard to say with current prices)..i personally would get a few ewe lambs and hope they make good hoggets, even if they are light ish now (bit cheaper) they COULD make good hoggets (in theory!!) and make ok money next year and you have no lambing and all that craic..but that's only my opinion..