ADVENTURE'S DOWNUNDER OR FARMING IN PARADISE:An Old Rams view.

[freemotion]

Hey, TOR! I've been reading on the fly and barely commenting lately but am enjoying your presence here on ss! And your journal and all the photos. Do set up a photobucket account...it is free and pretty simple. At busy times it gets jammed, so don't get discouraged if you can't seem to upload there, just try again in a half hour.

 

[Lady Henevere]

Interesting journal with lots of great pictures! Thanks for sharing it with us.

 

[calendula]

I have really gotten a kick out of reading your journal. It's very interesting and a has a little splash of humor added in at times. Good reading.

 

[dragonlaurel]

I'm glad you're posting this kind of info. Erosion happens anywhere, so we all need to know how to prevent, or correct it.

I don't always post, but your journal is always a good read.

 

[gettinaclue]

I'm also really enjoying your journal. A sheep ranch is something I know NOTHING about. Anything you decide to talk about would be interesting to me.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day How'ya'goin?"well we hope".

I am truly "humbled" by your replies,which we will discuss later.

So to today.Yesterdays mowing produced about 3 cubic yds of cuttings which I added to our "compost heap"(Jenny is considering adding a new vege garden next spring,that will make 3)and it will be "topped" with residue from the "shearing shed".......Todays mowing realized another 3 cubic yds of cuttings,which I have left in the trailer ,because I have not topped the heap yet.

Took "Jack" to "muster" those lambs,now lambs will really test a dog as a small group will break away and dash down the slope...The group had about a 50yd start on him when I sent him off,he covered the 200odd yds and "turned the head " before they had managed to get lower down the slope than the path he was travelling on....Now the gate out of this paddock is about 30yds from the cnr and sheep tend to head for a cnr when they are being "worked"......The task for Jack was to get the "head' out of the cnr and at the same time not "lose" the tail,the mob was strung out over about 50 yds or so and he soon had the "head " starting to go through the gate ,when the tail turned away,quick as a flash he came back across the "face"of the mob to the other wing and turned them back towards the gateway.............Through the gate and up a laneway and into the yards and he just waited there for me to come and shut the gate...(.Now lets assume its me and two teenage Sons,I would still be out there).(LOL)

The next task was to draft the lambs off into two groups, (ewes and wethers)each group was given a few "grandmothers" to keep them "in line" and to lead them to water and to generally "look after them".

Put them out into there new paddocks ,move the "mineral mix containers",feed the dogs and its time for a shower and a "drink".

..This years lambs @2 weeks

..The same lambs @3 mths

..The same lambs today @6mths

Questions and Answers:JRMom: What varieties of grasses do you have?
Down here we have (in Aussie,I mean)all the Improved/Exotic ones you have ,although they will have undergone a few changes to cope with our conditions.We have all manner of Clovers ,Alfalfa,Orchard grass ,Rye's and Fescue's and Phalaris,but they "all"rely on "little or no"competition and "high inputs" of artif. ferts and have (in general) a low tolerance to any extended dry period...But ,we have the most amazing variety of Native Grasses,which have evolved to live on a "bit "of Kangaroo Poo,suffer "searing temps in Summer,Minus8C in winter and "long periods of little or no rain" and when the rains do come "bounce back" and provide large volumes of "feed"...These grasses are the bulk of our productive pastures(I will dedicate a future chat to these grasses)

Tankshill:How long has it taken to make these changes and for the grass to recover??
We started down this "new" path about 5 years ago.Being a successful "Grass farmer" is in "our view"the key to a profitable operation.

Lorihadans:I love the house!"Thank You".I'm sure in the future the house will take up a week of chatting,it has some quite unique features.

dragonlaurel:"I'm glad you're posting this kind of info. Erosion happens anywhere, so we all need to know how to prevent, or correct it"................I am more than happy to give some of our concepts a little"air".We have proceeded down this path in spite of "opposition " from those who "claim" to be "experts" in the field.

Well,I think that covers everything from last night?

This is the next installment in our trip up the "drainage line".

At this point the "cut"is over 12ft deep,the cut turns to the right at the light line(middle of shot towards top) and the second picture is a continuum up the drainage line.......At the tree (2nd shot)top left,is an intersection of two drainage lines and this cut is a direct result of "over-clearing of the trees" coupled with over-grazing and general poor management.....This CAN never be completely repaired as the damage is just "to great".

Just beyond that tree is another control point ,which we will discuss next time.

Well,I think that is enough for tonight(my two typing fingers are getting "tied".LOL)

Tomorrow is shopping day again,so it may be Friday before I get back to you,so have a happy start to your Easter Break,stay safe and we will welcome you back soon.........................T.O.R..................................

P.S.....I think the garden avatar is a bit "wussey" for the old ram,so I have decided that at our next "chat",we will unveil the real Old Ram.

 

[TanksHill]

Have fun in town! Drive safe.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Those 6 month old lambs are awesome. So stocky and big!

 

[lorihadams]

Those sure are some pretty sheep!!! I have never been around them much and don't really have the acreage here for sheep but I think they are really cool!

I know that a lot of the homes in Australia are designed to be more efficient. I can't wait to see more!

 

[dragonlaurel]

Those sheep look great. Pretty land too. It's healing very nicely.