Splitting up my 7 acres

[promiseacres]

Divide the area by the barn into dry lots. I have 5 drylots on less than an 1/2 acre. It has better fencing they stay there in winter and during night otherwise. For sheep a catch area to handle them is a must! You don't know how fast they can be until you're chasing them around a smaller pen that just isn't small enough. For grazing here in indiana we can estimate 1000 pounds of animal per acre. That's a place to start depending your area. I would only fence off 3 acres to start, for the amount of critters I would do 1/3 -1/2 acre areas. but still plan on needing to mow taller parts unless you get more critters if you (don't be surprised you probably will have 20 sheep very quickly) . Keep the remaining acres as a nice hay field, if you can find someone to do it on shares unless again you have more animals.

 

[mystang89]

I like the way you have it divided. Walk the property. Walk every imaginary fenceline and "open" the gates. Picture the movement of livestock and make mental notes. Get fencing string and "build" the pastures with T-posts and the string. If you can get a visual, it makes more sense to you and you can see if it will work the way you want it to.

Make sure each pasture has shade. Dogs and sheep need the shade in the hot part of the day.

Definitely a good idea to walk it before I build anything there. Kind of a wierd question but how I do walk out 1 acre? It's easy to do it on the computer since it measures for you but I'm not sure how to do that in reality.

You've already made adjustments as recommended by Babs (Edit to say it was Bruce, not Babs... sorry Bruce)... I would make a further adjustment and make an open area (shrinking down the .6 area) to leave a nice wide open area around the barn. The area open to the barn on the right should be about the same as the open area on the left & above it. You'll need maneuver room for tractors and trailers and moving hay bales and such around the barn. It looks like it would be a really tight fit between the garage and barn for machinery... You could then use the smaller pasture as the full time residence for the ram and a wether for companionship. Just build a small run-in shelter for them right in the pasture and they won't need to come/go from the barn. You can treat that as a year round dry lot for the "boys". You can then either bring the ewes for conjugal visits to his place, or take him out and add him in with the ewes in their pasture when the time comes.

Another thing is you'll need to connect the fencing to the barn with (large!) gates at some point to prevent the animals from just walking out and down the driveway when you release them from the barn/pasture(s).

You want to make sure that you leave the "walking paths" between pastures wide enough that you can easily get your tractor/lawn mower throughout the property. You will still need to do pasture maintenance and you want to make sure the equipment can get to and into/out of the pastures without tearing up fencing. If you do it right, the "walking" path to the other pastures and the area around the barn itself can actually be used (with the actual pasture gates closed) as a short term pasture all on its own. <-- I hope that made sense...

I posted an updated picture to show the open area. I think it's probably a good idea to have a little play room if I need it. The area between the garage and the barn is wide enough for a tractor as they have used that area plenty for it and there is already a gate put up but I'll need to rearrange the existing gate next to the barn because it connects right up to the barn

One question, if you are only planning to have 3 ewes to start, why 2 rams? Will it be hard to find or replace a ram if something happens to him? Ratio of 1 ram to 15-25 ewes to get them bred in a 30-45 day period so 2 will be overkill unless there is a reason, genetics, etc....Get an extra ewe and then invest in a 2nd ram 2 years later....

I was wanting 2 rams in order to keep a separate blood line. Also if its anything like rabbits then if I only had 1 ram something would happen to that and I would be left with none so its an insurance policy of sorts as well.

With equipment and gates, you need swing room, or turning room.

That's a good point. I was going to ask how wide should the walking area be between the lots for moving the sheep back to the barn but I suppose if its big enough for a tractor to make it through then its big enough for the sheep.

Divide the area by the barn into dry lots. I have 5 drylots on less than an 1/2 acre. It has better fencing they stay there in winter and during night otherwise. For sheep a catch area to handle them is a must! You don't know how fast they can be until you're chasing them around a smaller pen that just isn't small enough. For grazing here in indiana we can estimate 1000 pounds of animal per acre. That's a place to start depending your area. I would only fence off 3 acres to start, for the amount of critters I would do 1/3 -1/2 acre areas. but still plan on needing to mow taller parts unless you get more critters if you (don't be surprised you probably will have 20 sheep very quickly) . Keep the remaining acres as a nice hay field, if you can find someone to do it on shares unless again you have more animals.

I think I'll probably make them 1 acre lots, except for that .5acre for 2 reasons. One is because I probably won't want to redo the fencing again if I begin to expand the operation and get a few more sheep which might require more room.. Secondly is because I don't think I will have the money for all that extra fencing required for multiple lots.

Edit: Forgot to load image.

 

[farmerjan]

OKAY, in reality, walking out an acre....an acre by definition is 43,560 sq feet. The original english measurement was 66 x660 feet. So how wide is the property, and how long from back fence to front....You need a rectangle that is 66 ft x 660 feet. If it is wider then it will be shorter. If it is perfectly square, it will be 208 feet 9 inches on each side. So you will have to first know the distance across the end where you have the two lots side by side. I am thinking maybe that is actually the front of the property as it looks like the driveway goes out to the road??? Minus the laneway down the middle of at least 12 feet wide you need the property to be132 feet for the 2 lots plus 12 feet to the driveway minimum of 144 feet if you are going to make it a perfect measured acre. Since I don't have the math skills in my head anymore to figure it, you can figure length times width gives you area... total 43560 sq feet in whatever shape you have.
100 ft x 435.6 feet =1 acre 80 ft x 544.5 =43560sq ft= 1 acre
Get out a tape measure or look at the plat for your property and at least get the distance along the road and then divide in half, less 12 ft for the lane between ( or however wide you are going to make it) and then take that number and figure your other side, and you can then walk it...

 

[Bruce]

1 acre give or take @mystang89

You can use the Google area calculator
https://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-area-calculator-tool.htm

to get a decent approximation. If there are "landmarks" that are visible you can stick T-posts or stepins at the approximate corners. You can also use the Google "measure distance" feature on the regular map so if you can find even a couple of points, you can get approximate measurements from there. If you don't have one, get a 330' tape reel. You don't want to measure out that much distance with a 25' tape.

I've not done breeding animals but I can't imagine you really want to start with 2 intact rams for 3 ewes. What are you going to do when the ewes are in season and the rams are both "over excited"? If something does happen to the one, replace him. Sheep are pretty hearty, don't know about rabbits. Also, I don't know why you would need to have a separate bloodline this early in the game. Unless you happen to find 2 EXCELLENT rams, why not get one good one first and see how things go. Otherwise you are feeding 2 rams year round (pasture in the summer, hay through the winter) and won't have any need for both the first time around on the 3 ewes at breeding time.

 

[mystang89]

OKAY, in reality, walking out an acre....an acre by definition is 43,560 sq feet. The original english measurement was 66 x660 feet. So how wide is the property, and how long from back fence to front....You need a rectangle that is 66 ft x 660 feet. If it is wider then it will be shorter. If it is perfectly square, it will be 208 feet 9 inches on each side. So you will have to first know the distance across the end where you have the two lots side by side. I am thinking maybe that is actually the front of the property as it looks like the driveway goes out to the road??? Minus the laneway down the middle of at least 12 feet wide you need the property to be132 feet for the 2 lots plus 12 feet to the driveway minimum of 144 feet if you are going to make it a perfect measured acre. Since I don't have the math skills in my head anymore to figure it, you can figure length times width gives you area... total 43560 sq feet in whatever shape you have.
100 ft x 435.6 feet =1 acre 80 ft x 544.5 =43560sq ft= 1 acre
Get out a tape measure or look at the plat for your property and at least get the distance along the road and then divide in half, less 12 ft for the lane between ( or however wide you are going to make it) and then take that number and figure your other side, and you can then walk it...

If i could like this twice i would lol.

1 acre give or take @mystang89

You can use the Google area calculator
https://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-area-calculator-tool.htm

to get a decent approximation. If there are "landmarks" that are visible you can stick T-posts or stepins at the approximate corners. You can also use the Google "measure distance" feature on the regular map so if you can find even a couple of points, you can get approximate measurements from there. If you don't have one, get a 330' tape reel. You don't want to measure out that much distance with a 25' tape.

I've not done breeding animals but I can't imagine you really want to start with 2 intact rams for 3 ewes. What are you going to do when the ewes are in season and the rams are both "over excited"? If something does happen to the one, replace him. Sheep are pretty hearty, don't know about rabbits. Also, I don't know why you would need to have a separate bloodline this early in the game. Unless you happen to find 2 EXCELLENT rams, why not get one good one first and see how things go. Otherwise you are feeding 2 rams year round (pasture in the summer, hay through the winter) and won't have any need for both the first time around on the 3 ewes at breeding time.

Thanks Bruce ! It sounds like having two rams would be a bit of an overkill from reading yours and others posts so i think I'll start with 1 ram and 2 or 3 ewes, probably 3 depending on money.

 

[Baymule]

Most people change rams every 2-3 years to keep their flock from becoming inbred. My ram is so calm, I just hope he stays that way! He comes to me, stands patiently, for me to scratch under his chin. I keep an eye on him, but so far, he hasn't shown any "ram" behavior. If he stays like this, it sure will be hard to sell him to get another ram.

 

[greybeard]

question..
What is the water source for the one acre plot on the upper right--the one most distant from the barn?

 

[mystang89]

The water source for the gray plot (furthest north) will have to be trough trough. I will need to check throughout the next few months and even while I have sheep to see if that little corner of the dark blue plot has a constant source of water in it. If not then it will also need a water trough.

 

[farmerjan]

Once you get an idea of where the fences will run, do some serious thinking about running a water line to the 2 furthest "lots". If the stream/creek ever dries up or anything happens you will need a water source. I would run one line, put in a frost proof spicket on one side of the laneway to supply the 2 back lots, and another frost proof spicket halfway down the laneway to supply the other 2 lots. You can always run a hose across the lane to the opposite lot. Carrying water gets old real quick, and the older you get the harder it gets. You are talking about the possibility of a horse....the amount of water it will drink will make the sheeps' consumption of water look like a teacup full. I am not trying to "spend" you into bankruptcy....If you are going to put a water line in, do it all at once, and put in enough frost proof hydrants so that you don't have to run alot of hoses. They will be there forever and you will be eternally thankful when you have water available closeby.
Also, you don't need the lane to go all the way to the end of the property unless you want to be able to access the perimeter fence outside of the acre lots. Run the lane to the 2 furthest lots and end it there with 2 gates so they can go in one lot or the other. ( I think that you would even get better utilization from having 3 lots across the end of 3/4 ac m/l) . The water hydrant could be right at fence at the two fields so a trough could be in each with a short hose to the spicket and a float on the trough.

 

[Bruce]

I don't recall where you live @mystang89 , maybe you could put it in your profile. I'm assuming somewhere it freezes since frost proof spigots were mentioned.

Regarding the water: I for sure wouldn't want to carry water that far. How is the rock/ledge supply on your land? If not bad, rent a 4' trencher and run that water line to those frost free spigots. And drop underground 12/3 wire in conduit in the trench at the same time. You'll need stock tank heaters out there.