Sheep and buttercups

[JillA]

Did I read somewhere that sheep eat buttercups? I am having an uphill struggle with the blimmin yellow peril, what with rain stopping spray and not able to keep horses off the bits yet to be sprayed, but sheep might be a distinct possibility once the hay is in. Worth it or not? Anyone know or had experience with them - I know they all have suicidal tendencies but do they eat buttercups????

 

[FfionWinnie]

Only if grazed very tight at this stage of the game, they are going to eat the grass first.

 

[LittleBlackMule]

Sheep are the most wonderful pasture improvers regardless, so if you have the opportunity to use them, go for it!
I'm not sure if they actually eat the plant, or just nip the flowers off, but either way pasture grazed by sheep rarely has a buttercup problem.

 

[Tangaroo]

Must be something wrong with our sheep then. Our field is covered in buttercups this year.

 

[Nudibranch]

Not sure but we have more sheep on this year and less buttercups.

 

[martlin]

They will only eat buttercups if you graze them hard, to graze them hard, you need really sheep proof fencing, or they will eat the tasty bits and then leave.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Everywhere is buttercup covered this year, because of the late cold spring. I wouldn't worry about it unless its the same every year. NB buttercups like acidic conditions and the sheep poo might make it more acidic so liming can help. But at least they are safe in hay.

 

[RutlandH2O]

Our farm is almost surrounded by a local farmer's sheep. We have 8 pet sheep in their own paddock. There isn't a buttercup to be seen in their fields. All of our other paddocks are grazed by our horses and donkeys: buttercups everywhere! Our sheep used to graze with the horses until about three years ago. That was when there was a prolonged drought and there just wasn't enough grass. What little we had was fouled by so much sheep poo that I was forced to muck out sheep waste with our daily horse dung removal. I put an end to that by giving the sheep their own space. The downside is now very obvious by the proliferation of buttercup wherever there aren't any sheep.