Discussion: Natural and Organic Husbandry

[BYH Project Manager]

More and more farmers and homesteaders are moving toward natural and organic methods when raising their animals. Whether it’s choosing organic feed, relying on herbal remedies, or creating low-stress environments, the goal is the same: healthier animals and a healthier farm ecosystem.

Some folks focus on eliminating chemicals and antibiotics, while others emphasize rotational grazing, natural worming methods, or building resilient herds through good nutrition and management. There’s no one-size-fits-all, and every farm has its own unique way of blending tradition with natural practices.

Let’s share experiences:

• Have you tried raising your animals with natural or organic methods?
• What practices have worked best for you?
• Are there challenges you’ve faced, like sourcing organic feed or balancing costs?
• Do you notice differences in the health or behavior of your animals?

Your insights could inspire someone else to try new techniques—or help them avoid common pitfalls. So, how do you approach natural and organic husbandry on your farm?

 

[Baymule]

I use regular feed, I have too many animals to use organic feed, it’s way too expensive. I tried using natural wormers, again, expensive and must be used on a regular basis. After a few sheep died from worms, I started using regular wormers. I learned how to do fecal exams and count worm eggs. This was the best tool for the health of my flock. Worm loads spike up before giving birth and again at weaning. I identified the sheep carrying heavy worm loads and culled them.

Worms are terrible for sheep and goats in hot and humid East Texas. I’ve been selecting for worm resistance for 10 years and have a fairly healthy flock. Lambs don’t have resistance yet and I have to worm them, but not overdo it so they can build up resistance.

In the spring of 2024 I had 31 lambs. I got over 4 feet of rain in 3 months and parasites exploded. It was all over East Texas. Even working with a veterinarian, I lost 11 lambs. I kept 7 of the best looking ewe lambs, not knowing if they would survive or grow off. I took the other 7 to auction, scrawny pathetic little things and got the worst prices I’ve ever had. I have friends that lost grown sheep and goats in that parasite explosion. I didn’t lose any grown sheep although a few needed worming.

Those 7 ewes did grow, they did survive and they are now bred and I’m anxious to see how they do. I’ve never wormed them again.

I do not rotationally graze. I bought 25 acres of a run down 3 generation cattle ranch. It has been a battle just to get fencing done. I have 2 fields out of 3 fenced now. Fence rows had 30-40 years of growth in them, up to 20 feet wide. The back field is the same way. It’s a work in progress. I’ll get there, but it takes time - and MONEY! Lots of money! LOL

I’m finally reaching the point where I’ll be putting up some hot wire for rotational grazing. It may just be a couple of strips, to start with, but I’ll get there.

Oh, I’m also female, 70 years old and by myself. I currently have 35 breeding ewes and 10 more young ones saved from this year. I’m participating in the Katahdin breed up program. By breeding ewes to registered rams, those offspring to registered rams and the third generation is eligible for full registration at one year old if they pass the hair coat test. I have 50% and 75% ewes that I’ll be selling next year and the year after as I reach that third generation. My goal is approximately 35 ewes, parasite resistant, rotational grazing, registered flock.

I work hard at having healthy sheep with limited chemical wormers, but will use them when necessary. I work hard at clean pastures and have hand pulled nightshades and other noxious plants. Sheep love most weeds but there are some not even sheep want. I have spot sprayed some of those when I’m losing the war, but I don’t spray the whole field.

I’ve invested tons of work and lots of money in sheep and goat wire, gates and posts. Next spring, yes, I will spray my fence rows to keep them from becoming an overgrown mess.

I use both organic and chemical means to keep my sheep healthy, on healthy pastures with a wide variety of grasses and forbs.

 

[SageHill]

Slow to answer this one - things get busy around here, then there's nothing!
I do a combination of natural - if you can call it that, and also feed alfalfa and sheep minerals (Purina - loose).
The part that I do differently than most I'll call micro-transhumant. It's the natural part. In true transhumant I'd be taking the sheep up the mountain or into meadows based on seasons. That's not possible here, we stay on the ranch - so it's over hill and dale so to speak. I use my dogs to move and contain the sheep in areas for grazing. The thing of this is, on the ranch here the land had been let go many years before we bought it. That translates to it's pretty much returned to it's natural state with different vegetation in different areas. The sheep will pick and choose what they eat based on their need. Somedays they'll chow down on sugar sumac (a favorite) and pass it up on other days. When we do get rain (So Cal is not known for rain) things green up - but every plant has it's own growth rate, and are tasty to the sheep only in certain stages of growth. We go out practically every morning - weather permitting. Meaning too hot they don't go out and stay in a pasture or turn out. The heat is not good for the dogs who easily travel 10-12 miles with their style of herding - moving along the sides of the flock on roads and becoming "fences" when grazing. Add in and strike two is the very strong possibility of encountering rattle snakes.
I spent a lot time identifying what's out there, what they eat, what they don't, what they shouldn't as well as what the benefits of different plants are for them -- a lot of that is documented in the thread:

Sheep on the Wild Graze

Well, now sure if that's a good title for this thread or not. I graze my sheep old style - moving them down roads with a dog who then becomes a living fence for the area to graze. Sheep choose to eat plants at certain times in the lifecycle of the plant - I've learned that just recently in my...

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