On Sat, 24 Sep 2016 07:51:05 Chris Hogg wrote:

On Sat, 24 Sep 2016 11:49:27 +1000, Jeßus wrote:

On Fri, 23 Sep 2016 10:19:43 +0100, David Hill
wrote:

On 23/09/2016 02:08, Je?us wrote:
On Wed, 21 Sep 2016 08:07:22 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:


Sheep?

That would be my solution.

Sheep don't like long grass.

That is true. You would have to get the grass short initially, but
after that...

Goats would do but they would like low
branches as well.

Yes, I wouldn't use goats in that situation.

I always understood that sheep graze, goats browse. In other words,
sheep eat stuff on the ground while goats eat stuff higher up, i.e.
shrubby stuff. But I expect there's some overlap.

I had some sheep in my meadow a few years ago and they certainly
attacked some oak saplings. The saplings were protected up to about 2 -
3 feet high but the sheep continually chewed the tops off.

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK

Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
David Hill wrote:

I've recently taken on the management of a somewhat overgrown 1.5 acre
orchard and I'm struggling to keep the thick hill-grass, docks, nettles
and thistles under control. ...

Sheep don't like long grass. Goats would do but they would like low
branches as well.

It's the non-grasses that are the real problem for grazing. I don't
know whether goats and donkeys will eat those, in real life rather
than fiction, but none of sheep, horses or even cattle will. Cattle
would do, if the non-grasses were cut down at least a couple of times
a year, but only then.

Any grazing animals in an orchard will be a disaster, they will browse
as well as graze. Not only will they eat the fruit, they will damage
branches as well.

--
Chris Green
·

In article , Chris Green wrote:
In article ,

Any grazing animals in an orchard will be a disaster, they will browse
as well as graze. Not only will they eat the fruit, they will damage
branches as well.

That's not so. All you have to do is to ensure that the branches are
higher than the browsing height or the tree is protected to that height.
Yes, the animals will prune the trees to keep it that way, but that's
not a big deal. Goats might be a problem, as they will also eat bark,
but cattle, sheep, horses and their related species aren't.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 21/09/16 08:07, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Tue, 20 Sep 2016 18:04:09 +0200, SJP
wrote:


Hello,

I’ve recently taken on the management of a somewhat overgrown 1.5 acre
orchard and I’m struggling to keep the thick hill-grass, docks, nettles
and thistles under control. I’ve used a mixture of a medium-powered
strimmer and an Austrian scythe, but it’s a good 6-8 day job with
either. Is there something that I can buy that can cut this in a day or
so? I don’t have a tractor, van, fork-lift, or the like, and the access
is poor. As such I need something that is both small enough to fit in a
car-boot and light enough to lift, push, etc. I want a tool that can cut
4-6 months growth of this grass, etc. 2-3 times a year. Does anyone have
some recommendations?

Am I correct in thinking that a power scythe would be to bulky, heavy
and expensive? I was considering a very powerful second-hand Stihl
brushcutter or a wheeled trimmer, but, whilst quicker that what I’m
currently using, would either be a sufficient enough upgrade to warrant
buying one or the other? Ultimately, the machines I’ve ended up
considering are the following:
SHERPA Paddock Master Drum Mower
SHERPA Bravo Rough Cutter

I would be delighted to hear any advice. Many thanks.

Sheep?

Sheep are used in a local commercial apple orchard, near Bristol.

In article , says...

In article , Chris Green wrote:
In article ,

Any grazing animals in an orchard will be a disaster, they will browse
as well as graze. Not only will they eat the fruit, they will damage
branches as well.

I agree.

That's not so. All you have to do is to ensure that the branches are
higher than the browsing height or the tree is protected to that height.
Yes, the animals will prune the trees to keep it that way, but that's
not a big deal. Goats might be a problem, as they will also eat bark,
but cattle, sheep, horses and their related species aren't.

In my experience when grazing is short in winter, both sheep and
horses will eat bark :-( (Hungry horses made a terrible mess of a
mature birch wood in the winter before we bought it).

Years ago at the last place, I planted an acre of grass as an orchard
to be grazed by a couple of sheep, which we would then eat. They were
blackface sheep and soon learned to stand upright on their back legs to
eat the young trees. Fencing the trees just provided a comfortable place
to lean on to reach further in and young athletic ones will jump
standard rylock stockfence. Remember that snow makes fence tops lower.

Grass stops growing in winter but sheep keep eating; so an enclosed
acre does not provide enough grazing all year round to feed a couple of
sheep. They would need supplementary feeding which isn't cheap.

Janet.

On Sat, 24 Sep 2016 10:45:06 Nick Maclaren wrote:

In article , Chris Green wrote:
In article ,

Any grazing animals in an orchard will be a disaster, they will browse
as well as graze. Not only will they eat the fruit, they will damage
branches as well.

That's not so. All you have to do is to ensure that the branches are
higher than the browsing height or the tree is protected to that height.
Yes, the animals will prune the trees to keep it that way, but that's
not a big deal. Goats might be a problem, as they will also eat bark,
but cattle, sheep, horses and their related species aren't.

Sheep do eat bark as I know to my cost. (No, it wasn't rabbits or
voles!)

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK

In article ,
Janet wrote:

That's not so. All you have to do is to ensure that the branches are
higher than the browsing height or the tree is protected to that height.
Yes, the animals will prune the trees to keep it that way, but that's
not a big deal. Goats might be a problem, as they will also eat bark,
but cattle, sheep, horses and their related species aren't.

In my experience when grazing is short in winter, both sheep and
horses will eat bark :-( (Hungry horses made a terrible mess of a
mature birch wood in the winter before we bought it).

Grass stops growing in winter but sheep keep eating; so an enclosed
acre does not provide enough grazing all year round to feed a couple of
sheep. They would need supplementary feeding which isn't cheap.

Well, of course. I was assuming that the stock were not overcrowded
and neglected. Except perhaps for goats, no domestic livestock (or
even deer, hares and rabbits) will eat bark if any better food is
available. Bluntly, domestic animals eating bark is a priori evidence
of mismanagement, at best, and animal cruelty at worst.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 24/09/16 11:54, Tom Gardner wrote:
On 21/09/16 08:07, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Tue, 20 Sep 2016 18:04:09 +0200, SJP
wrote:


Hello,

I’ve recently taken on the management of a somewhat overgrown 1.5 acre
orchard and I’m struggling to keep the thick hill-grass, docks, nettles
and thistles under control. I’ve used a mixture of a medium-powered
strimmer and an Austrian scythe, but it’s a good 6-8 day job with
either. Is there something that I can buy that can cut this in a day or
so? I don’t have a tractor, van, fork-lift, or the like, and the access
is poor. As such I need something that is both small enough to fit in a
car-boot and light enough to lift, push, etc. I want a tool that can cut
4-6 months growth of this grass, etc. 2-3 times a year. Does anyone have
some recommendations?

Am I correct in thinking that a power scythe would be to bulky, heavy
and expensive? I was considering a very powerful second-hand Stihl
brushcutter or a wheeled trimmer, but, whilst quicker that what I’m
currently using, would either be a sufficient enough upgrade to warrant
buying one or the other? Ultimately, the machines I’ve ended up
considering are the following:
SHERPA Paddock Master Drum Mower
SHERPA Bravo Rough Cutter

I would be delighted to hear any advice. Many thanks.

Sheep?

Sheep are used in a local commercial apple orchard, near Bristol.

.... like this:

In article , says...

In article ,
Janet wrote:

That's not so. All you have to do is to ensure that the branches are
higher than the browsing height or the tree is protected to that height.
Yes, the animals will prune the trees to keep it that way, but that's
not a big deal. Goats might be a problem, as they will also eat bark,
but cattle, sheep, horses and their related species aren't.

In my experience when grazing is short in winter, both sheep and
horses will eat bark :-( (Hungry horses made a terrible mess of a
mature birch wood in the winter before we bought it).

Grass stops growing in winter but sheep keep eating; so an enclosed
acre does not provide enough grazing all year round to feed a couple of
sheep. They would need supplementary feeding which isn't cheap.

Well, of course. I was assuming that the stock were not overcrowded
and neglected. Except perhaps for goats, no domestic livestock (or
even deer, hares and rabbits) will eat bark if any better food is
available.

On the contrary, they will all eat smooth young bark on younf trees as
a delicacy even in midsummer when there's ample alternative food.

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/infd-6k4kaf

Janet.

In article ,
Janet wrote:

That's not so. All you have to do is to ensure that the branches are
higher than the browsing height or the tree is protected to that height.

On the contrary, they will all eat smooth young bark on younf trees as
a delicacy even in midsummer when there's ample alternative food.

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/infd-6k4kaf

Please read what I posted originally. I don't know how you think
smooth young bark can appear at ground level on older trees, except
for suckering ones, where the animals will help by pruning off the
suckers. The techniques for combining orchards and grazing are both
ancient and well-known.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
Martin wrote:

Janet replied to this

Perhaps I shouldn't have snipped anything, though I am not sure that
it would have stopped you quoting out of context. Read the WHOLE
message that you snipped from.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , says...

In article ,
Janet wrote:

That's not so. All you have to do is to ensure that the branches are
higher than the browsing height or the tree is protected to that height.

On the contrary, they will all eat smooth young bark on younf trees as
a delicacy even in midsummer when there's ample alternative food.

That was not written in reply to what you quote above it. You have
removed what I DID reply to:

Here is the exchange;

You wrote

Well, of course. I was assuming that the stock were not overcrowded
and neglected. Except perhaps for goats, no domestic livestock (or
even deer, hares and rabbits) will eat bark if any better food is
available.

I wrote

On the contrary, they will all eat smooth young bark on younf trees as
a delicacy even in midsummer when there's ample alternative food.

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/infd-6k4kaf


Please read what I posted originally. I don't know how you think
smooth young bark can appear at ground level on older trees,

I don't, and haven't said that.

Perhaps if YOU paid more attention to what you posted, you wouldn't
jump to false conclusions about what I posted.

Janet

In article , says...

In article ,
Martin wrote:

Janet replied to this

Perhaps I shouldn't have snipped anything, though I am not sure that
it would have stopped you quoting out of context.

He didn't. The only person quoting out of context was you.

Janet.

I have to say that this Newsgroup is one of the few left that doesn't
feature sniping and flaming. Could we possibly keep it that way, please?

Syke

On 25/09/2016 17:20, Janet wrote:
In article , says...

In article ,
Janet wrote:

That's not so. All you have to do is to ensure that the branches are
higher than the browsing height or the tree is protected to that height.

On the contrary, they will all eat smooth young bark on younf trees as
a delicacy even in midsummer when there's ample alternative food.

That was not written in reply to what you quote above it. You have
removed what I DID reply to:

Here is the exchange;

You wrote

Well, of course. I was assuming that the stock were not overcrowded
and neglected. Except perhaps for goats, no domestic livestock (or
even deer, hares and rabbits) will eat bark if any better food is
available.

I wrote

On the contrary, they will all eat smooth young bark on younf trees as
a delicacy even in midsummer when there's ample alternative food.

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/infd-6k4kaf


Please read what I posted originally. I don't know how you think
smooth young bark can appear at ground level on older trees,

I don't, and haven't said that.

Perhaps if YOU paid more attention to what you posted, you wouldn't
jump to false conclusions about what I posted.

Janet

On 25/09/2016 21:46, Syke wrote:
On 25/09/2016 17:20, Janet wrote:
In article , says...

In article ,
Janet wrote:

That's not so. All you have to do is to ensure that the branches
are
higher than the browsing height or the tree is protected to that
height.

On the contrary, they will all eat smooth young bark on younf trees as
a delicacy even in midsummer when there's ample alternative food.

That was not written in reply to what you quote above it. You have
removed what I DID reply to:

Here is the exchange;

You wrote

Well, of course. I was assuming that the stock were not overcrowded
and neglected. Except perhaps for goats, no domestic livestock (or
even deer, hares and rabbits) will eat bark if any better food is
available.

I wrote

On the contrary, they will all eat smooth young bark on younf trees as
a delicacy even in midsummer when there's ample alternative food.

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/infd-6k4kaf


Please read what I posted originally. I don't know how you think
smooth young bark can appear at ground level on older trees,

I don't, and haven't said that.

Perhaps if YOU paid more attention to what you posted, you wouldn't
jump to false conclusions about what I posted.

Janet

I have to say that this Newsgroup is one of the few left that doesn't
feature sniping and flaming. Could we possibly keep it that way, please?


Can we bottom post as per newsgroup convention?

I feel it's unfortunate you felt obliged to reply to Janet. She have her
experience and backed it up with a link to a respected website.

While there seems a difference of opinion, where one party ups the anti
with no link to backup their stance they would normally be called a troll.

This is my first and last post in this thread.