Apple orchard maintenance

2 posts
Sun, 11/27/2016 - 20:43 #1

Member for

7 years 7 months
Farmnovice
Last seen: 01/03/2018 - 11:39
Joined: 08/29/2016 - 17:19

Apple orchard maintenance

Hi, We have just purchased 40 acres in the Southern Tablelands of NSW. We also have an apple orchard on the property with approximately 150 trees, which is fenced off. Just wondering if it would be feasible to put chickens / sheep or something else in the orchard which would help with keeping the lawn down and keeping the pests away. The property is a weekender for us so we wouldn't live there permanently so not sure if this would be feasible? Thanks for any help.
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Thu, 01/26/2017 - 19:13 #2
Len6163
Last seen: 01/26/2017 - 20:59
Joined: 01/26/2017 - 18:55

Hi

Sheep will eat the bark off your trees and kill them, unless you put wire around the trunks, then they are good lawnmowers.

If your only going to use the sheep for lawnmowers and not wool and want low maintenance sheep that are also tasty get pure Damara sheep not cross breeds. Damaras are a very hardy breed. They require less water and feed than other breeds and they are not feed fussy and will eat what other sheep wont. So long as they have access to water they are fine on their own. You can supplement there feed with a lick feeder.

Ducks will keep down grass and bugs and guinea fowl are the best bug catches.

Guinea fowl are self sufficient thats why the grape crowers use them, only have to worry about foxes or dogs preying on them.

 

Hope that helps

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