Bloomin Clover!!!!

[joellie]

Marley has put weight on and I mean really noticeable all of a sudden in the past week I can see such a difference in him. The clover in my fields has just took over this past couple of weeks. We got it all sprayed 2 years ago to kill it but it is back with a vengeance.I think its just been the weather recently. I really don't want to spray it again.
I am thinking of topping both fields and opening them all up , then put a track system around the whole 5 acres as the clover seems to be more concentrated in the middle. The only thing is my ewes and lambs, I have been keeping them separate from Marley and Rummy up in the back field but if i open it all up they will all be together. The lambs are really big now but Marley has always thought its fun now and again to chase them. My girls have always known to run under the tape to get away from him but I am worried that the lambs might be a bit slow on the uptake.

I also have a small yard and paddock across the road which i could maybe move the sheep onto as it really needs eaten down but I will have to get busy making it sheep proof...
I am sorry to go on but I am kinda writing it down to see if i can decide what to do...

 

[Trewsers]

At our last place the lambs often got in with our two, they soon learnt how to get back out, even between the fence panels. Mind you, our girls didn't chase them often, Storm used to glare at them!lol
It's such a dilema isn't it? Pasture management - lots to think about with good doers.

 

[horseandgoatmom]

I really don't have much grass so I cant offer a solution.
I keep the horses and goats separate because I worry the horses especially Andi
might try to play too rough and hurt them.

 

[joellie]

I really don't have much grass so I cant offer a solution.
I keep the horses and goats separate because I worry the horses especially Andi
might try to play too rough and hurt them.

Yes, this is exactly my worry, I put a video on here one time of Marley when he went in with the sheep, he did settle down but every now and again he would chase them. I know he is only playing, well I hope he is but sheep are easily worried, although I think my girlies are well used to him but I would still worry.
My dilemma is he is piling on the weight so I need to somehow get him off the clover asap... I will have a look for the video of marley with the sheep..

 

[joellie]

This shows a wee bit of what he can be like

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Oh dearie me, and that was aimed at the sheep? Eek!

 

[horseandgoatmom]

OMG that would totally be Andi for sure!!
Even to adding a take that to Sonny!

Are you really dry over there? I think clover comes up more in our hay over here when its very dry?
My hay comes mostly from Canada and sometimes the second cut can be very very heavy Clover.
The horses love it but I really can't let the goats have it because they are Whethers and I worry about urinary calculi.
I try to not give the horses straight clover either and mix it in with normal hay w.o clover.

I always try to never run out of non clover hay.
They say its going to be a good year for hay. I got some first cut that is totally awesome.
I never let myself run out to have to go from last year to this year and I mix this year in for quite a while
Plus I don't like to stock up til fall-- when if for some reason it was going to turn its not in my barn.

 

[joellie]

Yeah he did do a take that to wee Rummy as well in that video but I do think he knows he is going to miss, if he wanted to make contact I am sure he would but its still not nice to see.
No my soil is clay and we do get a lot of rain in Northern Ireland, so my field is either very wet or if we get a sunny spell it becomes very dry. Hardly ever a happy medium, which makes it difficult to ride in.
The Clover is a real nuisance although the bees are loving it.

 

[horseandgoatmom]

For sure he could make contact if he wanted to -yes it is still a bit scary to see.

Here our soil is sandy. I guess clay can get rather hard.
What they have for soil in Canada where most of the hay comes from I have no idea.

OMG yes bet the bees are very happy.

 

[joellie]

I have kept them both on the outside track as hopefully you can see in the pictures that their is no where near as much clover as in the middle of the field. I think over the weekend I will also do the same with the back field, then I can open up the whole lot so they have a big long track to go along. Hopefully the sheep will stay in the middle on the other side of the electric fence. Here are a few pics of the clover, it is flowering at the moment. If it would dry up I would go in and top it all as the clover is far higher than the grass.
.