[HardDaysKnight]

Originally posted by Stuck in NH
HDK-

Up here we have had a sheep herd doing clearing under the Power companies high voltage transmission lines for a few years now.

They average about 1/2 mile per day.. 1000 sheep, one sheepherder & 2 dogs. Talk about low cost, overhead, & enviromentally friendly.

And they don't have to break for lunch!

[arcane]

I picked up some 175 mil trimmer string from DR and put a whuppin on the vines this weekend! I had to drill out the bushings on the trimmer head to get this twisted string to fit, but it works right up against the rocks: lasted maybe 20 times longer than the Stihl 130 mil string I had been using. Took the vines down to the ground, then painted the stumps with Roundup. Knocked some stones off as I was pulling on the vines. I guess that comes with the territory. I'll rebuild them in the fall.

Scrubbed with Technu, but I am holding my breath to see if I get poison ivy.

[LabourofLove]

Originally posted by Stuck in NH
HDK-

Up here we have had a sheep herd doing clearing under the Power companies high voltage transmission lines for a few years now.

They average about 1/2 mile per day.. 1000 sheep, one sheepherder & 2 dogs. Talk about low cost, overhead, & enviromentally friendly.

Sheep won't eat brush, only grass. Goats prefer brush to grass. As long as there is a water source available, the goats should be fine by themselves for weeks at a time. Just get wethers (neutered males) that won't smell and won't need to be milked. Goats need strong, tall fences - many breeds are jumpers, and all are climbers.

[LabourofLove]

Oops, I fogot to mention - Massachusetts has some of the most stringent laws in the country on the subject of moving or re-moving old stone work (walls and/or foundations). Make sure you're not breaking any laws if you decide to go in there with equipment.

[Stuck in NH]

from here;
http://www.psnh.com/Energy/Sheep/fastfacts.asp

Why try sheep?
Sheep are natural lawnmowers, effective at clearing vegetation. Although they eat many different types of vegetation, sheep favor the leaves of young maple, oak, cherry and birch. These are problem species for electric utilities -- if left unmanaged; they will grow tall enough to interfere with the transmission lines

How many sheep were used in the project?
In its first year, the Grazing Power Project consisted of approximately 500 sheep. Following a successful first year, the flock doubled in size for year two. In years three, four and five the flock consisted of about 1200 sheep

- Stuck