Geese, Goats & Pony
Hedge and ground management is always difficult where hens are kept. Their droppings are a rich source of nitrogen and create a fertile seedbed for nettles, docks & thistles. The hens, who like to pick at the soft grasses, create craters for dusting and allow the rougher clumpier grasses, nettles, docks and thistles to continue growing, they even use them as shelter from the prevailing breeze when sunbathing. This creates rough ground and the presence of this type of growth reduces the area for the soft grasses which the chickens need.
Embden Geese
Our solution has been to allow the geese to clean up the softer, sweeter grasses when the hens are moved, followed by the little shetland pony to graze the rougher, courser grasses etc. The thistles, nettles, docks and briars which she leaves behind and are much loved by goats will be cleaned up by our little nubian herd. This rotation results in the pasture being bared to the thatch, which helps to eliminate parasites and re-grow clean, young, soft grasses.
There is no more manual cutting of soft or clumpy grasses as the natural cycle of growth coincides with increased numbers of geese and goats and as the ground cools and growth slows the fattened animals are either sold or dispatched for the table or the freezer.
Nubian Goats
Although this stock rotation works like a dream, we can't take credit for it being a well thought out plan!
I like goats and wanted them to keep the chain link fencing free of hedgerow growth and ensure the electric fencing (our guard against the fox) was not weakened by power draining to earth as it came in contact with briars, twigs and tall weeds.
Our first goat - a beautiful seven month old nubian puck, was an impulse buy. We very quickly set about finding him some female company, resulting in a young nubian kid goat of 3 months and a nubian lady about his own age.
I'd been presented with an envelope by my family for my birthday, with the means to acquire the latest iPhone, which I graciously (I hope) turned down and choose the goats instead.
Goats are extremely playful, they are very agile and their antics are always amusing, as can be seen in this video. They seem to really come alive in springtime.
Shetland Pony
The pony, a terrified shetland, who'd been severely mistreated, was Eddie's purchase. She will require infinite hours of attention and patience to gain her trust. Every day is different with her. Some mornings she is less terrified than others and just when we feel we've made a little progress, she regresses again, yet she seems to gain comfort from having the goats close by.
There will be celebrations (and a blog) on the day she shows us that she finally trusts us.