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  • From: Bill Jones <billj AT harborside.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Tvo post Mar 98- Trashland Treasure
  • Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:25:23 -0700

SISU! wrote:

Bill Jones wrote:


I would estimate my maximum carrying capacity at around 1.5, or better, once the new pasture is planted. So on 2.5 acres I can keep about 10 sheep (6 sheep = 1 steer for this purpose).


Does that take rotational grazing into effect?

Bev

I don't suppose so, since so many properties seem to have the same steers on them year after year (well, not the exact same animals of course). Somehow when you go to buy a ranch property, and you ask the old fart, "so how many head of cattle you reckon this'll keep," they have to be able to give you some answer. The details for how it's calculated are well-defined by the USDA. It assumes that everybody's land is snowbound for six months, so that properties from radically different climates can be compared on the same scale. But on my land, without snow, there's actually a "winter carrying capacity". I imagine it's about a third of fourth of the summer carrying capacity, so I hope to keep a ram and three ewes over the winter, also with no feed. I don't intend to push it to the limit, because they start gnawing tree bark. At this point I keep animals only seasonally, since I'm a snowbird, but within 5 years we'll both be able to move here full time. Just in time, eh? I hope so.

Bill
S. Oregon coast




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