Propagating FODDER TREES will feed your LIVESTOCK!

[@julesf.]

Fantastic information. Thanks Eric. More ideas I can use for my new property.

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Glad to hear this. Plant some trees! 😉

[@1111atreides]

I saw your stack of firewood and was imagining a cow gnawing on a stump. I had to go back to your other video to see how you feed a tree to a cow. NOW I get it!

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Lol. Good one! 😆

[@heronthere]

Another great video. Thanks!

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Thanks for watching! So glad you got something from the video:)

[@highroad3580]

Thank you for this inspiring video! I’m exploring tree fodder ideas though we have half heartedly fed from our trees over the years. Goats benefit greatly from this and their woods are all above their heads now. It’s time to build a fodder area either for occasional self feeding or hand harvesting.

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Thanks for watching, glad the video inspired you!

[@denislosieroutdoors]

Great information very inspiring there eh!

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Thanks Denis. Appreciate it. 👊

[@jesseherbert2585]

Inspiring, well explained, thank you!

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Thank you! 😉

[@Mari-ro3ue]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

You are welcome:)

[@foodplantnursery]

I'm been going all in on mother stock here. Hybrid willows and white mulberry. To feed and sell. Great info.

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Yes sir. Can't go wrong with those two! Thanks brotha. 👊

[@rjp3593]

I always learn so much from your videos and I always have about a million questions that I'm sure you will end up answering when you cover the topic again or may have already covered

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

So glad to hear this. Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching:)

[@rjp3593]

@@therealprtrhsenteal haha I just re-read my comment and it wasn't written very well but in my defense I was feeding and moving sheep while listening and stopped what i was doing to quickly comment!

[@workshopvillage]

great video

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Thank you! Glad you liked it:)

[@ThoneJones]

Great video. Can you do this anytime of year or only in the spring?

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

This will be most successful during the period of dormancy. Best done in winter before they leaf out. You can push it into spring but rate of success declines.

[@bradlafferty]

Just saw this. Question: would taking a wild white mulberry cutting now in June produce a root? Thanks.

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

It can be done but it must be from softwood cuttings rather than hardwood. You will have better success using a rooting hormone ( I use clonex) and stripping all leaves but the top 2 and I would avoid doing this when temperatures are extreme. I have found success in summer Propagation but I find it so much easier in the winter when trees are dormant.

[@bradlafferty]

Thank you for the extensive advice! Because temps have been so extreme lately, I’m going to wait until winter to take a few cuttings. I just discovered this tree this summer and found it’s mild fruit delicious.

[@robinsnestfarm7322]

Thank you for sharing your video, but I still have so many questions! How far apart do you recommend spacing hybrid poplar or willow? I noticed a black water line? Do you need to continue to water even after they are established? [I am in Missouri we get hot dry summers, but fairly wet springs--] At what age do you pollard your trees? And I imagine you pollard when they are dormant? The one tree you pollarded at waist height- Do you have issue with deer pressure where you live or do they leave the poplar be? I am trying to find some information on the net or in a book-- to answer some of these questions [If there is a good book or resource please let me know!]. Ten years ago, I read about how in Europe they use pollarding and coppicing for livestock-- and I thought y e s! We have goats again and I have been gathering tree limbs and shrubs from what we have here on the property- and they LOVE it! But I would like to also get some hybrid willow, poplar and some mulberry set up on our farm as well. Thank you for your video[s] you came up in the search for tree hay-- but I also enjoyed your video on the mobile sheep tractor! Thinking about options for my goats! Blessings to you and yours! Michelle from the Missouri Ozarks

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Hey Michelle! Spacing for poplar can vary it depends on how you intend to use it. Mature trees need about 8' between but you can go more or less depending. Most all trees in a dry climate like mine need supplementary water for 3-5 years before established. If you have alot of deer pressure pollarding should be above their browse height and yes it should only be done during dormancy. We will be selling cuttings again in the winter sometime around January. Thanks for the question and I will be addressing this question in the Q and A portion of our next livestream. Thanks for watching and your comment. 🙂

[@simplyjamy1892]

Great video! We just planted some hybrid poplars, willows & white mulberry that I put in pots last year because I couldn't decide where to put them. Some of the poplars grew to 10' in the pots! We're going to coppice to keep them shorter due to high fire risk. How long do you recommend waiting before coppicing?

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

I personally would wait until the 2nd year until coppicing. But it really kinda depends on how well they have grown in the first year. Good luck and thanks for watching:)

[@Hilltopblues]

Is there variety of poplar tree you recommend?

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

A great choice would be a hybrid poplar. Fast growing and very easy propagation. I'm not sure which species were crossed for the trees that I have but I was told they came from a hybridized cultivar. 🤷‍♂️

[@hippieacresnv]

Do you feed the willow to the livestock? I have heard conflicting opinions on whether sheep can eat willow! We grow White willow and Coyote willow, I would love to be able to offer some to our sheep but have not yet.

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Sheep are a new addition to our farm just last year and I have fed them limited amounts of willow last year so I can't assess with any confidence if it would be harmful to them. I will say they did devour it and preferred it to mulberry and poplar. I fed them a daily ration of poplar last summer with only positive results and will be incorporating more willow this year. That said my cows for many years have been fed all of the above with willow being the first fodder of choice. Good luck and thanks for the question.

[@MeanOldLady]

😬Just reminded me, I've got a 2 gallon bucket of 5 baby trees that have merged into one unit that I finally have to deal with this spring...

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Yes! Such a great time of the year to get those trees planted. You will thank yourself in 20 years. 👌