The Shepherdess
Grace is an entrepreneur, Shepherdess, and rotational grazing enthusiast. This eclectic mix converges here on the Shepherdess Podcast where we talk about regenerative farming for profit, raising Dorper sheep, and daily life as a small-scale, regenerative farmer.
The Shepherdess
Rotational Grazing Sheep for Beginners
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Rotational grazing is about as close to a silver bullet for parasite control as you'll find in sheep farming, and in this episode, I'm breaking down my complete grazing system. I cover how regular rotation builds pasture health and keeps feed costs low, plus the practical details: paddock rest, pasture recovery, fencing setup, and more. Iām also diving into some audience questions on stocking rates, deworming, minerals, and grazing sheep alongside other livestock. My goal in this episode is to help the beginner shepherd avoid some of my own early mistakes, so listen in!
TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 Whatās the big deal about rotational grazing?
00:05:48 The importance of taking seriously our own food security
00:07:40 Diving into the transformation in my flock since implementing rotational grazing
00:08:51 How rotational grazing significantly improves pasture health, not just flock health
00:13:00 Addressing the pushback: āI donāt have time for rotational grazingā
00:15:19 My recommendation on how often to move sheep and how long to rest paddocks
00:22:39 Choosing the right electric fencing and training sheep to respect it
00:27:40 Exactly how I stockpile pasture to ease the burden of winter feeding
00:32:41 A walkthrough of my exact fencing setup, including perimeter fencing and electric-wire paddocks
00:40:35 Prioritizing flock health through deworming and culling for disease
00:42:24 The first line of defense against predators
00:43:38 Creating the right paddock size for the size of your flock
00:44:41 Evaluating the health of your soil and providing proper mineral access to your sheep
CONNECT WITH ME
Email: shepherdess@shepherdess.com
Patreon: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessPatreon
Blog: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessBLOG
Merch: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessMERCH
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyfarms.shepherdess/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HarmonyFarmsDorpers
MORE FROM THIS EPISODE
View full show notes and transcript on the blog