Shetland Sheep
Registered Flock #1887
We have a small flock of Shetland ewes at
Bear Swamp Orchard, we are seeing how they do as
grass-eaters and tree-fertilizers. We are still in trial
runs to see how sheep do in our orchard; six little sheep
can't possibly eat all the grass on the property, but we
should get an idea for the number of sheep we would need to
do the job. We are rotationally grazing them through the
pasture and rows of the orchard using moveable,
solar-powered electric fencing - so far they are amazingly
low maintenance. Who knew anyone could get fat eating
nothing but grass?
We chose Shetland sheep since they are a hardy,
self-reliant breed that gets by just fine eating grass
without supplements. They are also small, which means that
we can graze them around the standard sized trees without
losing too much tree in the process. Shetlands are a fiber
breed with really exceptional wool, sought after for
centuries as wool to be worn against the skin, or for baby
clothes. We have them shorn in March.
