Starting to get our sheep setup in their winter paddocks.

Each winter, the sheep are in a static paddock from late December until mid April. We try to take advantage of the impact and fertility of the sheep when choosing where to locate the winter paddock each year. It's a great opportunity to trample down, fertilize and mulch an area of weaker pasture.

(Last year winter paddock)

We decided to put the sheep in the same area again this winter to help reduce the pressure of the rush grass growing there. We were able to make some progress last winter but there is still more rush than I'd like in the area. The sheep dont eat the rush and I want to maximize the food available to them while maintaining a diversity of plants.

(Last year end result of winter paddock)

By putting the hay on top of the rush grass it encourages the sheep to trample it and cover it with a layer of straw mulch when they are done. I'm hoping that this technique works just as well or better than it did last year.

#homesteading #permaculture #permies #grownostr #selfsovereignty #meshtadel #sheep #katahdin #rotationalgrazing