Tree Fodder for Sheep: Can You Use Trees to Replace Hay?

[@gpvaneron1584]

Awesome video, thank you! We've been doing this with our sheep. Unplanned and very unscientific ;) I had started our property focused on small fruit orchards and nut groves then added sheep later on. I noticed immediately they liked eating the leaves and fortunately I always have a lot of pruning to do. The only thing i still can't explain, hoping someone out there can help me out please, is I recently read that all "Prunus" family trees are potentially toxic but man.. my sheep gorge themselves on apricot leaves every single day and they'll always super healthy. Also asian pear, cherry (fruit cherry not wild cherry) and apple. Apricot leaves in particular make up a significant portion of their diet. Yet I read another study where feeding apricot and cherry improved sheep health. I give them a lot of hazelnut branches too which isn't their favorite but they'll eat when everything else is done. For wild trees in our area tulip poplar is their favorite.

[@waykeeperfarmandnerdery]

Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I love that the two work well together with pruning and sheep needing food ;) I think there's a lot of conflicting information about tree forage for sheep. I feed my sheep some Black Locust and they eat it up and do well on it, but some people have reported their cows aborted after eating it. So if your sheep are doing well, I say keep going!

[@elizabethblane201]

I saw the picture in your video of tagasaste, which is good for areas with no hard frosts. It's very high in protein. I plan to use that in my future flock. Another good one is poplar and it's relatives, (aspen, etc).

[@waykeeperfarmandnerdery]

Thank you for sharing these too Elizabeth! We're planting more trees this spring and we've got some poplars and aspen going in, so that's exciting!

[@dendrophile9938]

My sheep love Black Cottonwood which is in the poplar category

[@spoolsandbobbins]

This is SO helpful! Thank you!!

[@waykeeperfarmandnerdery]

Glad it was helpful!

[@TheOldMayfieldPlace]

We have a man in the area that advertises for people to bring their Christmas trees to him for him to feed his sheep and goats. They get rid of their trees and he gets free food for his animals. Win-Win!

[@waykeeperfarmandnerdery]

This is a brilliant idea - love it!

[@MelissaBeesHomestead]

My East Friesian Sheep love white pine and her milk increases when we give it to her :)

[@waykeeperfarmandnerdery]

Yay thanks so much for sharing what works for your East Friesian sheep and that it also affects milk production. I haven't tested that yet, so we'll look to incorporating that :)

[@SovereignSymphony]

I saw on this video (kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5ymomund9SMnLs) that pregnant ewes shouldn't have evergreens / christmas trees.

[@BaughbeSauce]

That's great to hear! I've got East Friesian sheep. I will be breeding them this November, but it's good to know for down the road.

[@mattcantrell5640]

"fodder"

[@waykeeperfarmandnerdery]

Thanks for taking the time to comment!

[@mattcantrell5640]

@@waykeeperfarmandnerdery sorry, I noticed the misspelling in your banner, "benefits of tree foder"

[@waykeeperfarmandnerdery]

@@mattcantrell5640 Ahh thanks!! I should have caught that on the review/editing - once it's in the video I can't change it, but I'll keep my eyes peeled better next time :)

[@jenbear8652]

You mentioned “sacrifice areas”. Are you Jewish or Muslim offering lambs as sacrifices?

[@waykeeperfarmandnerdery]

Ah sorry about using a term that could cause confusion. A sacrifice area is a place where you'll keep livestock for the winter or longer periods of time... where the soil will be trampled and also have a lot of manure on it. So it kind of "ruins" the space. Often we put down woodchips or other things like crushed rocks to keep the ground from being too damaged. Hope that clears things up! I talk more about fencing in our winter area (aka sacrifice paddock) here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJnCq2aXjJt-obc