KrisK Posted February 28, 2009 Report Share Posted February 28, 2009 Winter is never leaving.. but I'm an optimist and I've been leafing through my seed catalogues. My intentions are to have my small spinner flock early this summer. I remember reading somewhere, that there are some root vegetables (beets and turnips?) that sheep find to be a nice treat. Since it will be a small flock (6-12), and I'm planting my garden anyway, can someone suggest what might be a good crop to throw a few extra seeds in for the sheep? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 Turnips are often grazed, but can also be dug up and fed to sheep. Rutabagas (Swedes) are another one. Potatoes and carrots are also a hit with my sheep, and I've heard of onions being fed to sheep, though mine turn up their noses at them. I don't know why anyone -- ovine or human -- would eat a beet. Any sort of winter squash is also a possibility, as are apples, pears, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Bo Boop Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 I have a fair sized garden and its right next to the pen where I keep my sheep at night. I regulary feed them broccolli and cauliflower has bolted or gone to flower, they love that, the leaves as well, cabbage leaves and cabbage. For some reason I've had really good luck this year growing collards, the husband isn't wild about them, so the sheep get pretty much all of those. Oh and they really like brussel sprouts ;-) Having the garden right there is kind of convenient, as I can toss all my weeds into the pen, and then of course any veggies that are past their prime. You know what you might try, as it grows really well and quite easy, is Swiss chard, its a member of the beet family, just produces leaves not a root crop, but the sheep really seem to like it a lot. Good luck. Betty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 I love beets, but only fresh ones from the local farms (heirloom breeds perhaps?). I don't like canned beats or the commercially raised fresh beets from the grocery store. I ate almost entirely locally raised foods this summer (fruits, veges, cheese, honey, lamb, fish, etc). I was somewhat limited in my choices, but the taste and freshness of all my food more than made up for it. I even tried and grew to like some new foods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 If I was going to eat dirt, I'd just eat dirt. And that's what all beets taste like to me. Liz, how did you define "local" -- or were you not that formal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthfieldNick Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 I think I've said this before, and I think Bill told me it must be something local, but we have some trouble if our sheep eat large amounts of beets or chard (they're both Beta vulgaris, just chosen for different things). We have seriously deficient soil, and the beets seem to throw our sheep's systems out of whack. They get generally mopey and listless, but it goes away soon after being taken off the beets. Just wanted to let you know, just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 I think that all the stuff in the brassica family can tie up iodine -- but you guys in the middle of the sound shouldn't be short on iodine. Just the sea air should deposit enough on your grass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Liz, how did you define "local" -- or were you not that formal? 1.5 miles away - eggs, pork, beef, lamb. The eggs I can get by dropping $2 in a jar and taking a dozen out of the farm office fridge. The pork, beef and lamb go out for slaughter then are sold to Whole Foods (and I won't pay their prices). 2.5 miles away - poultry (chicken, turkey), berries, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, corn, squash, green beans, potatoes, onions, peppers, carrots, etc. They also sell goat milk, goat cheese and eggs from a farm owned by their relatives about 30 miles away. They have a beef herd but will not slaughter the first animals until next year. Right now they are building up their herd. 5 miles away - same as the second farm but a wider variety of foods, including apples, pears, honey, homemade soda, cider. 25 miles away - freezer lamb. I have more sources but I think you get the idea. How do you define local? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Well there seems to be some debate within the localvore movement as to whether it should be 50 miles, 100 miles or 150 miles. Most localvores in this area seem to have settled on 100 miles. However you draw the "local circle," it's hard to find grains, oils, and some other staples such as coffee and tea in New England so most localvore challenges allow some "marco polo" items. I can get corn meal from within 100 miles, and we grow our own dried beans. Fresh veggies are hard in the winter, and we have basically given up and are eating California greens until sometime in April, if the spinach overwintered. I'd kill for $2/dozen eggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthfieldNick Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Bill, I don't think we're deficient in iodine... but beets aren't brassicas! I know how you feel about goats (you just haven't met our wonderful, well-behaved flock yet), but our goats cleaned out the gigantic overwintered beets with no troubles. Then again, they also made fast work of a wild rose hedge... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Hi Ben, I'm trying to remember what my theory was if I had one ... I know it's not iodine deficiency, and I know beets aren't brassicas, but it sounds like the sort of thing you can get when sheep are on brassicas and iodine deficient. Sheep will eat roses as well, and would probably eat beet greens. I'll actually eat beet greens -- they don't taste like dirt for some reason. Still and all, if I had to choose between eating beets and keeping goats, I'd be eating beets. At least you can get the taste of beets out of your mouth. Goats scar your psyche indefinitely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisK Posted March 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Still and all, if I had to choose between eating beets and keeping goats, I'd be eating beets. At least you can get the taste of beets out of your mouth. Goats scar your psyche indefinitely. Bill, thanks for my morning laugh.... I grew some beets last year...I like fresh beets but DH doesn't. As for local eggs, when I'm not eating my duck eggs, I buy fresh eggs down the road for $2.50 Cnd Thanks for all the suggestions on root crops. I didn't realize that the sheep would eat potatoes! I'm hoping to have a decent root cellar by this fall to store all this great produce I'm planning to grow (IF winter ever ends that is)!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Fresh veggies are hard in the winter, and we have basically given up and are eating California greens until sometime in April, if the spinach overwintered. I'd kill for $2/dozen eggs. Same here, I buy fresh veges grown in CA and FL in the winter. I hardly eat any grains, so that is not a challenge. If I ever build my dream house it will have a greenhouse for year round food production. I know it would be nearly impossible to get everything I eat locally so I do what I can. I even use local honey in place of sugar if it works with the particular recipe. The eggs in the office fridge are for a small number of locals. The rest go to Whole Foods where they sell for $6 a dozen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Whole Foods = Whole Paycheck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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