Comments on Hazeltree Farm: Our new hi-tech green-accredited solar-powered law...

So cute! Love it, a solar-powered lawn mower!

2011-10-27T10:23:17.228+13:00

So cute! Love it, a solar-powered lawn mower!

Hi Barb - Gabrielle is going o eventually g...

2011-10-17T09:02:35.182+13:00

Hi Barb - Gabrielle is going o eventually go and live with the rest of the flock, out on the acreage of the farm. She's only in the garden at the moment because she's being bottle-fed.

My experience is that sheep won't touch trees, apart from sometimes nibble a tasty-looking leaf or two, as long as there's plenty of grass to chew on. If the grass gets low, then watch out!

So, for example, we've had the sheep in grazing our newly planted orchard, and the young trees are fine. They're really not interested in them, because there's so much grazing.

So I reckon a "sheep share" set up in neighbourhoods would work well, as long as people passed the sheep from property to property, so the grazing was strong enough for the sheep.

One other thing: the sheep *do* like cuttings (full grown sheep, that is, not baby lambs). We give them the cuttings from safe plants, when I trim the hedges etc., and they love them. They'll even eat thistles when they've been spaded over and dried a couple of days.

The only tree they like to nibble at regularly is our willow, and that's common - they sense the aspirin in the bark and leaves, and apparently self-medicate when they're sickly. Interesting, huh?

We thought this would be a good idea. After Sheep...

2011-10-16T18:23:46.253+13:00

We thought this would be a good idea. After Sheepy ate the fruit trees and even killed a couple he went to live with some people around the corner.

He was cute too.

Barb.

We have kangaroos and wallabies as lawnmowers. Th...

2011-10-13T16:37:39.407+13:00

We have kangaroos and wallabies as lawnmowers. They generally do an excellent job of keeping the tussocky stuff to just the right level but unfortunately have been unable to keep up with the last year's rain-enhanced growth spurt and rather got lost in the 2-metre high spear grass (I really should have taken photos).

Goats will unfortunately eat the shrubs FIRST before they hit grass. Apparently grass is not their first preference, food-wise.

I'm still hanging out for horses :)

In the meantime, more chooks more chooks more chooks ... (they dig the grass UP rather than neatening it but then you can sow more. Esp. if one has tussocky stuff like I do). Another 25 little peepicheepies have come back from their nursery into the orchard :)

Thanks so much for all your handy tips and tricks,...

2011-10-11T16:11:30.339+13:00

Thanks so much for all your handy tips and tricks, i use the tooth paste you posted and there is no way i am going back to the old chemical stuff! I am in love with ACV rinses too. I have left an Award for you on my blog :D

Haha what a funny cute post. I lvoe it. Lambs are ...

2011-10-10T09:09:44.978+13:00

Haha what a funny cute post. I lvoe it. Lambs are so super cute!

So glad that Gabby is doing well and helping out a...

2011-10-10T09:09:31.088+13:00

So glad that Gabby is doing well and helping out around the house!! Thanks for the update.

I agree completely! Alas, we have goats, who wil...

2011-10-09T18:54:27.924+13:00

I agree completely!

Alas, we have goats, who will eat your roses and trees to a nub long before they touch your grass. :\

Our hens are actually better lawnmowers in our case.

Gabrielle is looking lovely! :)