Question For Secuono About Baby dolls

[Nyboy]

years ago I read about a winery using Baby doll sheep to keep grass between vines mowed. They used baby dolls because of there small size. Can the same be done in a orchard ? Will sheep eat tree bark or just grass? How much room would 2 baby dolls need to be happy ( would supply feed if needed ).

 

[Smart Red]

Nyboy, it works best if you call her loudly - - - - @secuono.

 

[Nyboy]

 

[Smart Red]

That actually does sound like a great idea. Mowing around the trees is something I dislike and having the animals do the work is a win/win in the summer. In the winter I would need another shelter or lose my garden shed.

 

[ninnymary]

If you send her a pm she'll get an email. The email will giver her an alert on her phone. Just sayin...

Mary

 

[Nyboy]

Red sheep can take cold. Not only would they mow around trees but their droppings would fertilize trees. Not sure if Washington or Jefferson had a Ha Ha wall at their home. It kept the sheep from getting close to house, kept them in the field, which was for view of sheep and fields.

 

[secuono]

Maybe I should give you guys my cell # and you can text me. =p

They can be used for grazing under plants, but if they discover the leaves are tasty, they may stand up on their back legs to nibble. So it's best to make sure the low branches are high enough that they cannot stand up and reach them.

I have an apple tree, they never chewed on it's bark. My horse did eat most of it's branches one winter, though...lol. It's fenced off now. There's other trees in their pastures and they never chew on them. My miniature horses are the only tree eaters here.

Sheep eat grasses and other weeds, but they don't eat weeds and brush quite as well as goats do. A few of mine have found out a couple wild trees, still tiny, have yummy tasting leaves. They are weed trees, so I don't mind them eating them. Then others have found Honeysuckle to be a tasty vine and they trim that up for me every fall along the fence. They will eat any offshoots that come up, so that's usually a positive.

I have a 250x250 foot yard. Used to be for the birds and rabbits, sold all the rabbits and most of the birds, now just 3 ducks live there. So I've turned it into a pasture for the ewes. 9 ewes in there for 2 weeks and it is still lush. IDK how much land you're planing, but having it split for rotational grazing is a good idea.

 

[Nyboy]

Thanks I am thinking about future, when I retire. Problem I spend to much money to came close to retirement.

 

[secuono]

Just adding pics. One is from today of the Cheviot on the fence. Other is a Babydoll on the same fence the year before. Then Babydolls nibbling a tree I don't mind them mowing down, I break branches off it for them to eat the leaves off of.

4ft fence, right at the top of her head, she could reach higher, but she's round and heavy now.

Babydoll almost on the exact same spot. That pine tree on her right is the same as above. She can just hardly reach the top of the 4ft fence.

 

[Nyboy]

What colors do they come in? Are there a lot of health problems in the breed?