Haven't been able to find them where I live but even the big square bales are usually cheaper then then small bales. Although this year we found a source for small bales at the same price. My goal is to kick the hay habit by using the paddock system and having winter pasture. My mentor is Greg Judy on that, I started last year but did not follow through. Although it did improve the pastures quite a bit. He has a couple of books No Risk Ranching and Comeback Farms with some very good info.
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Thats inspiring. I will look into those books.. I see you're in Idaho; I would imagine there's quite a difference in temperature from the north to the southern part of the state? Is that so? Around here when deep winter hits there is ZERO grass, so I would be very curious to learn how to graze year round and keep the bred ewes nourished enough. I'm sure our ancestors of old did it, just need to learn more about it! BTW have you seen the website http://hayexchange.com/ ?
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You set up paddocks with hot wire. Enough space that your animals can eat in 24 hours but no more then half to two thirds so the grass recovers faster. Your pasture will go farther this way. And move them every day. So they dont get back to the first paddock for about 30 days or more depending on how much land you have available.
This allows the grass to fully recover before they eat it again. It mimics how the wild herds eat. They also water fertilize and plant seed. Around august you set aside pasture for winter stockpile no grazing till winter, the grass lays over under snow and they will dig it up.
It is possible if the winter is to harsh they may not be able to get to it. So its,a good idea to have some emergency hay on hand.
Goats and sheep are better at finding winter stockpile then cows. But the cows will follow their lead. You use paddocks in winter also.
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Nice! This is a goal for sure... Thank you for sharing. I'd also like to plant a small shade tree (that can handle heavy munching) in each paddock
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Not sure what small tree can handle heavy munching. Maybe willows but they are not small. They grow fast though and can handle lots of abuse. Mullberries perhaps. They also grow fast and provide fruit for animals and humans in spring and summer.
Nut trees like oaks and chestnuts will provide winter feed also but take many years to grow. People are reluctant to plant trees in their pasture for fear of losing grass. That is a mistake. You plant production trees in clusters and leave space in between for pasture. Now you have multilevels of production on the land where you only had one level before.
Animals need diversity especially goats and sheep they will browse but even cows browse. You can seed grass that does well in shade. Also bushes like elderberry for medicine and hazel nuts more winter feed. You have to protrct the young trees though till they get big enough or the animal wil kill them.
My plan is to plant mullberries as they grow fast and provide shade and fruit. While my nut trees are coming up. I planted about 80 trees last year but lost over half due to unusual heat. I did not have drips set up as i thought they would have enough moisture. This year i will set up drips i can charge from the pond with a gas pump. All trees are production. I have oaks, black walnuts (stock can eat them, good winter feed too) american chestnuts, mullberry., sugar maple, black cherry, pinion pine (nuts), native blue elderberry, red elderberry. I'll be adding hazel nuts, almonds, etc. For humans i have apples , cherries, figs, grapes, apricots, and will be adding various others. Although apples are good for stock too.
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All of that sounds wonderful! Yes we like to grow Black Locust, it handles coppicing very well and regenerates quickly, fine for stock to eat.. Planning to plant trees like that here and there in the pasture as well as other shrubbery to provide shade..
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Another couple good books I'll recommend are Restoration Agriculture by Mark Shepard, and Tree Crops a Permanent Agriculture by J Russell Smith. @fernowl13 found Tree Crops on PDF here:
https://soilandhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/01aglibrary/010175.tree%20crops.pdf
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