Fun things sheep do for you and your environment

Sheep are just wonderful about doing good things for you and for your environment.  They are diligent workers for their place in the eco system.  They also work hard to create a wonderful fiber for people use, a fiber that has been utilized for hundreds of years. 

They eat weeds.  Not all weeds, just the ones they like.  It does open up more space though for the native grasses to flourish, which also sustains a wide variety of other animals here.  Such as the mule and white tail deer, antelope, elk, rabbits, and a variety of birds. 

They trim the trees.  Some of the pine trees here have low branches.  This creates a low fuel level for wildfires.  They are excellent at stripping those low branches of vegetation, which allows me to come in and easily remove those branches.  Raising those fuel levels benefits more than just my property.  It allows a fire to lay down faster and burn less hot overall, making it easier to manage should one come thru the area.

They fertilize the ground as they go.  Pretty much self-explanatory LOL!  As they move thru the pasture areas, their poo will help the ground to regenerate.  More benefits for both the sheep and the local wildlife.

Their hooves break up the top layer of the ground.  This allows for any rain to absorb better instead of running off.  Let’s the natural fertilizer break down and soak in.

They generate mulch and compost.  Since they do spend part of their day in a corral with hay, they are very good at stomping the waste hay and poo into a lovely mulchy compost.  We scrape the corral out several times a year, let it fallow overwinter, and spread it to areas of the pasture which are thin on dirt.  Our ground is mostly shale type rock.  Areas we have spread are already showing new growth.

They sequester carbon.  Half the weight of a fleece is pure organic carbon.  Pasture plants convert atmospheric CO2, sheep eat the plants, sheep sequester the carbon into their wool!  Pretty cool huh?  Our average fleece weight for a year is roughly 350lbs, so about 175lbs of carbon is taken care of. 

When a fleece is allowed to break down in the ground, it releases nitrogen into the soil.  I use skirted wool in my garden extensively.  The bottoms of my raised beds are lined with this waste wool for several reasons.  One, it’s a weed barrier.  Two, it holds water.  And three, it releases nitrogen and other elements into the soil for excellent growth.  I also have top dressed plants with waste wool as a mulch. 

Wool is warm.  Wool is cool.  Wool is one of the best fibers to keep you warm during the cold weather.  Sweaters, socks, gloves, hats, scarves, coats, you name it, are excellent garments for cold weather outdoor sports.  Even if it’s wet, it’s warm.  Wool is also cooling in warmer temp’s.  It can wick sweat away and act like an evaporative cooler. 

Wool is antibacterial and antimicrobial.  It resists mold, mildew, and bacteria.  This is one great reason why wool garments do not need to be washed often.  They don’t hold body bacteria which can generate smell. 

Wool is sustainable.  Sheep grow wool year round.  Generally faster in colder weather, but it still grows in the summer.  Once a year, in the case of my sheep, they get a hair cut.  I do this just prior to them lambing, as that lack of fleece helps the mom’s have an easier time with the end of their pregnancy, and allows the lambs to have an easier time finding mom’s teat without a lot of fleece in the way of their searching.  It also cleans up mom’s backside so there are less chances of that excess wool getting in the way of delivery.  My sheep love how they feel after shearing day.  They do the dance of their people, running around, playing, jumping, bucking and popping.  Just like how you feel with a brand new hair cut!!

Sheep are pretty dang cool!!!