My Simple Backyard Grazing System (for Sheep)

Good morning!

Good morning! Oh, you want love too? You don't want me to stop?

Oh, Beauty installed a shelf for her compost tea stuff. Looking better and better in here. Oh my gosh, she put a recycle bin in here, a trash bin. What do we have here? Ah, skim milk. That's supposed to soak the forest pigs with that. This is coming along nicely, looking good. Morning feed. You guys aren't interested in all this, are you? You just want to see how the sheep did last night. Are they still in? They got out last night for the first time. Let's make sure they're still in their fence. I about forgot the sea monsters. They're the hungriest, so we do them first. Well, you still got food, that's good. These guys graduate to grass tomorrow. Boy, they're shoving it in today.

This morning I am going to do sheep. I am continuing to organize. Our friends actually leave today. Amy and Arun, we're gonna miss you guys so much. 6 months and we'll see you guys again. And I have a container. This is an old collagen peptides container. I'm going to put my vital herbs in it. That is done.

Uh, Jonah and Mom cleaned this up last night. I love this workbench, uh, but what— why do we have that wooden workbench? Oh, this is for tools and that's for screws. Okay, we're gonna have to move this down because I need to build the sheep shawl right here. Unless you want to move the— unless you want to move the saws, which we could, but then we'll need this area. We need an 8-foot by 8-foot for this shaw, and then we need to be able to get around it. Okay, we're getting one step closer to having a stage for building this sheep shaw. It's amazing how we're gonna go from this, a little bit of hardware into a mobile shade for sheep. Hey, good, how are you?

Next up, sheep. Okay, so the fence is on. I'm gonna have to go around.

Well, that's what you guys want to see. I'm pretty sure they slept right there, huh, Buck? Again, he's not driving y'all nuts. Are they driving you nuts, Rebecca? Our bedroom's right there. We got to get them out and free-ranging. I think we got to build this sheep shelter first. What do you think, Beck? Yeah, so they, they knocked out this grass. They didn't see any stuff. Of course, we're gonna move their pen right here. How about right here today, Rebecca? And then we'll run an experiment. We'll partially put them in the garden and see if they get the greens around our produce. Without stepping and ruin our produce. Yeah, this is a good test area, Rebecca, because there's only like dead pumpkins and old spaghetti squash. Oh, right there, there's Jonah.

He has to walk around the fence to turn off the fence so that I can go in and see my buddies.

Is it on? It is on. Okay, turn it off for a second and I'll get in the fence and then turn it back on and I'll herd them in slow. Okay, turn it back on. Walk slow, we don't want to scare them through a fence. There you go, good. Okay, it'd be great if we would have brought some greens and let them in there. Well, that was easy. Bear is in with the chickens. Oh, the fence fell down. Bear, you dweeb, stop harassing those chickens. Look at that, look at that manure demolition. Good Lord, you chickens did an amazing job. All right, what's the interest, Bear? Come on. He's done knocked over the water. It's partly because we don't have this electrified right now because we need to get replacement batteries for solar energizer. Hey, little man. Okay. Oh, he just jumped right through. Okay, that's good. Can you move the coop over one? We were able to encompass 2 paddocks today, so we just have to move the coop one more length. Maybe right there.

I could let them out and then it would be later.

That's true, you could do that. Bear's just a curious creature. Now you have playmates, Bear.

Oh, you guys are getting some minerals.

Good for you, Jonah. Where's the knife? Yeah, oh, you're gonna have to look for it. Okay, you found the knife. I'll feed the guineas. Getting up in the back of me right there. Where'd you find it? Okay, let's hang it up. Always. Okay, what am I gonna do with this old Wooden— it's a widow maker if you ever saw one. 50-foot wooden wire. That mixed in there— oh, that's some, that's some feathers. They'll eat that too. All right. So that's our garden that needs to be harvested. Can sheep help us with that? Can sheep come and eat some of the greens so we can actually find the butternut squashes and all the different squashes in there? We'll see. This is rotten. See, this is busted. They're already on a pumpkin. Busted. They tell me those pumpkin seeds are a good dewormer. Pig eats with all— with feet and mouth, don't they? Milk accidentally left out. Oh, they're on to me. They've smelled it.

They've smelled it. They smelled that Smelled that milk.

They stopped eating squash when they smelled that milk. Going in here?

Going good.

Good. All right, let's get some mulch. Do they even need mulch? They poop in there at all? All right, they didn't eat any of their alfalfa, rascals.

But they also went outside.

All right, well, the, the luchadors are eating theirs. Here you go, Mom. Associate you with greens. Put your lane back. We're going to close off this. We're going to roll up this one, keep going straight. They let this be a, a what, lane. We'll put a lane up and then open it up over there for them. We got this set up. You know, some of the foliage from the squashes is coming into this paddock. Let's see if they're even gonna eat the foliage to clear so that we can go in behind them and grab the squash. Lane's set up. Jonah, want to turn it on and test it? Go ahead. Did it add any— did it take any of the power away adding another strand? Okay, it's hitting hard. Okay, Mom, it's all you. Let them out when you're done.

This isn't even working.

Oh, that's good. Good thing you're testing that. Let's go see where it's going wrong. This is the fence that's hot. It needs to connect to this. It's ending right here. I'm glad you had the wherewithal to check both fences. So this needs to be connected to this fence. All right, hopefully it's still hitting it. 8 plus. All right, go ahead, Johnna. Good job testing both. Okay, good.

Train them all. All got love. Look at my hair, they messy. When we first came in, they were really eating the minerals a lot, so I just kind of let them get what they needed because I don't think they're going to come in here unless we bring them in. Um, so now they're all trained. We're gonna get them out onto the grass. Justin has set up another paddock for them. There's the guinea, and this is their lane over there. So we're gonna just— Jonah and I— Jonah's here. We're just gonna turn off the fence, get out turn it back on, just let them come out as they want. It's off, right?

Since it's off, okay.

It's hitting real hard, so I want to always make sure that it's off. You would scream, it would be bad.

Buenos días, Luchadores! How are you Luchadores doing? Haha, maybe we can do it this way. Oh, that's, uh, Will you come to the alfalfa before I move you? They've eaten their alfalfa. Will you come to it? I know you're hungry and you associate me with this alfalfa. Hmm, make an eye contact.

Sit down. Let's see, back away.

Yay! Training them to that bucket. One day I want to be able to come out here, open that door, shake that, and then come to me and eat just like this. Same thing with the ewes. Good deal. Now let's move you. I went to move them. I don't want to move them. They keep wanting to eat that alfalfa. Let them go for it. Let's move, guys. I'm bottoming out on this hump. It's a little harder. Okay, that is by far my most favorite chore right now. I calculated it up— 2 sheep in a 16 by 16, moving them twice a day, not getting back to the first spot for 60 days, the longest rest period you'll need. Two-thirds of an acre. Come on, Flossie. Buenos días, vacas. Okay, how— uh-oh, Stud Muffin's in the lead. Uh-oh, and we put everything down, didn't we? Let's go cut him off. I guess you get the ladies and I'll get Stud out of the way. Here you go, herd Bear up. Good, I got these bromance. Boy, he's— Stud's really wanting to go with him. Here we go, bring her on, Jonah. Good job, I got the bromance. Now we're gonna have to get the calf Here comes the calf! Here comes the calf! Just block Bear off. Bear's bawling the calf. That's, that's his only inferior. There we go. Good. You want to chase the calf? I'll get the mamas.

Yeah.

All right, Moose, get on line. There we go.

All is good.

They really wanting to follow lately. Hey, hey, hey! All right, everybody's in. Good job, Moose.

Thank you for that milk, huh?

Thank you, thank you. Huh, they're working to get her out. Wait a minute, they haven't come out yet. I thought they'd be dying to come out. Or have they? I don't think they've come out yet. Hey, what's the problem? You're munching on that hay. There's more for you out here. Okay, guys. All right, let's do it. All right, I'll even let you stay here. We're just going to do this so you don't run off, okay? Let's get this little man used to us. Saying goodbye to Amy and Arun. We'll miss you, buddy.

I love you.

Bye-bye. Yeah, love you. Friends come and go, but the cows still need milking. Good friends, that Amy and Arun. And many of you wondering why we call that garden top in our front yard, Arun's Garden. Well, that's Arun. That was Arun. They farm sat here while we did the Great American Farm Tour. We toured all of America seeing the greatest backyards, homesteads, and farms, and they, they house sat for us. And he had a little garden up there. We call it Arun's Garden. There you go. You're gonna get moose out, Josiah? Done milking. Let's go. Don't you stop. Don't you start not getting out. Everybody's comfortable, huh? Come on, come on, Moose. Come on, you get feeling good on a rest, huh? Let's go. Thank you, Josiah. Come on, she got Road crossing. Keep going.

You have 18. You're gonna have to talk to your father. Okay, I'm leaving.

Joe, where are you going?

To get my mats.

Okay, what? Oh yeah, they're here.

Yeah, they called me this morning. All right, and Jonah, are you coming? You want— I can go to Lowe's.

You're going to get our Suburban mats. Speaking of mats, I just ordered the mats to cover the minerals. We found a source, we found a source! Let me give you guys the source: freechoiceminerals.com. You guys can get mats for covering your minerals. That's what I'm going to recommend you guys when I come out with the mineral shaw plans. I'm going to use it on the sheep shaw. And I'll use it out on the, the luchadores, the wrestling ring. Yeah, it's 1 o'clock, been editing. I really want those sheep to come out though. Why are they not coming out? They came out right away yesterday. This is handy, can go look right out my living room. I want to see them out there grazing. They can backtrack over Rebecca's checking over the edit. Um, we want to go see my dad tonight. He's back home, he's doing well, but let's go see him. That means we need to do the afternoon chores, including get those sheep out. Why are they not coming out? Let's do afternoon chores real quick so we can go with my dad, go see my dad. Well, I figured out why the ewes haven't come out. Oh my gosh, their door is shut. I don't think you can go in. It's probably on. Their door got blown shut. It's not shut shut, but they're not aggressive enough to push it open, I guess. There. This is how we're getting in. My word. Okay, here, let's just put this in front of it. Okay. You want to go walk them out slowly?

Yeah.

Okay, you go walk them out. I'm gonna be out here. Okay, I'm gonna get out so they, they won't— they'll be scared to come out if I'm in here. Do you want me to run, walk them out with you?

All right.

Just to stand behind them to see if they'll go. There we go. Look, just let them go slow. I cannot believe that door was shut. I mean, they're not hurting. They have their minerals, their hay, their water, but gosh. They are so skittish. Keep going. Good. Yeah, they're Larry of the chicken tractor. Come on, there you guys go, there you go. And I was hoping to come out at this time and show you all that they eat.

Oh my gosh.

All right, hey. Get in. See, we can turn this off and then we could step over, turn it back on, but then we're having to walk around this whole fence. So that's, that's why we have this ladder here. I guess we can leave it on and cross over. Here we go. Whoa, Gray's on, guys!

What a beautiful family. Hey guys, well, you look like—

hey!

Big old handsome boys, especially that one there. Oh yeah, Lord, thank you.

Look like you're filming.

I'm— well, I'm here.

Get your feet elevated.

Well, I just got it done.

I get promoted to grandpa.

Poor Junior got out and caught me.

Exactly, he definitely caught you.

I do try to do it.

Ginger gets on him.

But I just finished eating.

Or we have you suffer.

Go on.

Even though you just finished eating. He told me to bring him something.

I said something to eat.

It's fried chicken too.

Well, by goodness. I'll just say this. I'll guarantee you won't have a bite of it go to waste.

Okay, no worries.

I sure appreciate you guys doing it too.

No problem.

Look at those 4 little birds over there sitting on the swing.

They got some apples from Papaw's orchard.

Oh look, it's like a balloon!

Nice gifts from the Tiddlers.

Oh, you're welcome. Thank you for Justin.

All right, I got him.

I probably gave Justin an appropriate nickname, Talking Man.

Talking Man.

Another Talking Man back He would say we'd be out somewhere and I'd say, where do you want to go?

He'd say, my house!

Yeah, real loud.

My house. I do like to say it, my house.

Yeah, that's funny.

That's for sure.

Yeah, we had fun.

All right, see you.

I love you, son.

Love you too. Thank you so much. You're welcome.

Take care of yourself.

Thank you, I will.

Don't get injured.

Thank you. You take care of yourself. Don't you get injured anymore. All right.

I got my radiation treatment. I got another one tomorrow at 3:45.

Good.

Then I'll have another one Friday.

So good.

They're counting up. I've had 18.

You're halfway done.

Almost.

Yeah, I got— that leaves me 24 to go. All right, I appreciate it. All right, appreciate it.

Bye-bye, Ginger. Thanks for taking care of it.

You're so welcome.

Thank you. We appreciate you.