Tree Fodder for Sheep: Can You Use Trees to Replace Hay?

Рет қаралды 3,038

Жыл бұрын

In this video, I'm discussing the ways we might be able to use trees to replace hay as winter fodder for your sheep.
I'll discuss the pros and cons of using trees as a fodder source for your sheep, and provide some tips on how to implement a tree hay feeding program.
If you're thinking about adding tree-based feed for your sheep, this video is for you!
I'll cover what you need to know about tree fodder for sheep, from the benefits of using trees as a fodder source to tips on how to get started.
Take an in-depth course about growing and harvesting tree hay from Gaia Formation: www.gaiaformation.com/
Some tree leafs are also more appetizing to sheep, while others don’t taste as good but they will still eat when offered, like pine branches.
Some good trees to consider depending on your context include:
White Mulberry
Ash
Willow
Chestnut
Alder
Locust
You can also cut down volunteer trees that are growing too close to your home or barn and feed them to your sheep, as a low stakes way to test things out if you can identify the type of tree. One tree to watch out for is oak - it can be toxic for several ruminants, including sheep.
If you have established a tree hay system, what tips do you have for those just getting started?
Music: EX6V5XLOMTQFDDR5
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#agroforestry #permaculture #sheepfarming #treefodder #silvopasture #dairysheep #treehay #regenerative #treeplanting #carbonsequestration

Пікірлер: 29

@gpvaneron1584 Ай бұрын

Awesome video, thank you! We've been doing this with our sheep. Unplanned and very unscientific ;) I had started our property focused on small fruit orchards and nut groves then added sheep later on. I noticed immediately they liked eating the leaves and fortunately I always have a lot of pruning to do. The only thing i still can't explain, hoping someone out there can help me out please, is I recently read that all "Prunus" family trees are potentially toxic but man.. my sheep gorge themselves on apricot leaves every single day and they'll always super healthy. Also asian pear, cherry (fruit cherry not wild cherry) and apple. Apricot leaves in particular make up a significant portion of their diet. Yet I read another study where feeding apricot and cherry improved sheep health. I give them a lot of hazelnut branches too which isn't their favorite but they'll eat when everything else is done. For wild trees in our area tulip poplar is their favorite.

@waykeeperfarmandnerdery Ай бұрын

Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I love that the two work well together with pruning and sheep needing food ;) I think there's a lot of conflicting information about tree forage for sheep. I feed my sheep some Black Locust and they eat it up and do well on it, but some people have reported their cows aborted after eating it. So if your sheep are doing well, I say keep going!

@TheOldMayfieldPlace Жыл бұрын

We have a man in the area that advertises for people to bring their Christmas trees to him for him to feed his sheep and goats. They get rid of their trees and he gets free food for his animals. Win-Win!

@waykeeperfarmandnerdery Жыл бұрын

This is a brilliant idea - love it!

@spoolsandbobbins Жыл бұрын

This is SO helpful! Thank you!!

@waykeeperfarmandnerdery Жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@elizabethblane201 Жыл бұрын

I saw the picture in your video of tagasaste, which is good for areas with no hard frosts. It's very high in protein. I plan to use that in my future flock. Another good one is poplar and it's relatives, (aspen, etc).

@waykeeperfarmandnerdery Жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing these too Elizabeth! We're planting more trees this spring and we've got some poplars and aspen going in, so that's exciting!

@dendrophile9938 Жыл бұрын

My sheep love Black Cottonwood which is in the poplar category

@MelissaBeesHomestead Жыл бұрын

My East Friesian Sheep love white pine and her milk increases when we give it to her :)

@waykeeperfarmandnerdery Жыл бұрын

Yay thanks so much for sharing what works for your East Friesian sheep and that it also affects milk production. I haven't tested that yet, so we'll look to incorporating that :)

@SovereignSymphony Жыл бұрын

I saw on this video (kzfaq.info/get/bejne/r9FzpJuip9W9lo0.html) that pregnant ewes shouldn't have evergreens / christmas trees.

@BaughbeSauce 9 ай бұрын

That's great to hear! I've got East Friesian sheep. I will be breeding them this November, but it's good to know for down the road.

@jenbear8652 Жыл бұрын

You mentioned “sacrifice areas”. Are you Jewish or Muslim offering lambs as sacrifices?

@waykeeperfarmandnerdery Жыл бұрын

Ah sorry about using a term that could cause confusion. A sacrifice area is a place where you'll keep livestock for the winter or longer periods of time... where the soil will be trampled and also have a lot of manure on it. So it kind of "ruins" the space. Often we put down woodchips or other things like crushed rocks to keep the ground from being too damaged. Hope that clears things up! I talk more about fencing in our winter area (aka sacrifice paddock) here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/sM6PrZaSvJyvm4k.html

@mattcantrell5640 Жыл бұрын

"fodder"

@waykeeperfarmandnerdery Жыл бұрын

Thanks for taking the time to comment!

@mattcantrell5640 Жыл бұрын

@@waykeeperfarmandnerdery sorry, I noticed the misspelling in your banner, "benefits of tree foder"

@waykeeperfarmandnerdery Жыл бұрын

@@mattcantrell5640 Ahh thanks!! I should have caught that on the review/editing - once it's in the video I can't change it, but I'll keep my eyes peeled better next time :)

@csmrfx Жыл бұрын

Storing your branches for winter by drying? This seems to be the biggest brainfa't I've heard today. Then again hay seems to be similar brainfarce. The leaves will dry, the nitrogenous compounds will evaporate, protein content and the nutritional value will crash, same as with hay vs silage. You might be able to store the nutritional value of leaves as silage.

@waykeeperfarmandnerdery Жыл бұрын

Hi Casimir, I know that there's a whole science to making and drying hay to reduce the amount of nutrient loss. This paper has some good starting points: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S006521130860810X From observing my sheep, they will eat dry and fallen leaves from trees in the fall and winter, which tells me that they still consider them edible. The method of drying bundles of branches is a very old tradition and I think it was mostly out of necessity - but I think it's worth exploring further because we can do more scientific testing on nutrient loss these days. I like the idea of making silage with branches, and I'd love to see you report back with your experiences doing it too!

@csmrfx Жыл бұрын

@@waykeeperfarmandnerdery Hi, youtube keeps losing my reply, so maybe you like this: www.smts.fi/MTP_julkaisu_2014/Posterit/064Smith_ym_Nutritional_and_fermentation_quality_of_ensiled_willow.pdf

@spoolsandbobbins Жыл бұрын

We’ve been using tree hay for several years now. It must have some nutritional value because our animals go nuts over it and we feed them a high quality orchard hay as well.

@mithim99 Жыл бұрын

What are you on about? In my area the cows get the hay and sheep get about 90%only dried branches with leafs. Certainly less nutritious than leaf silage, but if dried right and put away from sunlight immediately it is enough nutrition for sheep.

@csmrfx Жыл бұрын

@@mithim99 Silage (ferment-stored vegetative matter) has improved amino-acid availability, and more.