Invasive Plants and How We Manage Them with Sheep

written by Caitlyn Douglas-Derkson *without the use of AI

The number one reason we started raising sheep was for weed control. Sheep are excellent foragers and enjoy eating most of the plants and weeds that cattle leave behind. Watching my sheep graze is my favourite thing in the whole world!

Southern Saskatchewan's sandy soil, combined with tillage, and over grazing in the last hundred years, has given leafy spurge and invasive brush the chance to thrive in our pastures. Cows rarely eat these plants, so these weeds and bushes spread undisturbed, choking out native grasses and legumes. Farmers typically have to spray the spurge and mow the brush which is expensive, time consuming, and not always successful in controlling these invasive plants. However, there is good news; sheep will eat both leafy spurge and brush!

The invasive Leafy Spurge Plant

left of the fence has been grazed by sheep, right of the fence has been grazed by cattle

The sheep do not eradicate the plants, but they do control the spread, especially if the flock grazes in spring and fall before the plants go to seed and spread. This gives grasses, legumes, and native flowers a better chance to grow. Plus, these invasive plants benefit the flock: the brush provides excellent shade for the sheep in the hot summer months, and we learned last year that leafy spurge is high in protein!

This spring, we are grazing the flock in the paddocks after the cattle herd. The herd has left all of the brush and spurge behind, and the sheep are very happy to clean it up. This multi species grazing plan is a big goal that we have had for years, and we finally have the infrastructure, resources, and flock health to make it happen! The sheep and cattle are working together and we are pleased with the results!

The paddock below was grazed by cattle a few days before the picture was taken. All that is left is leafy spurge. The sheep entered the paddock on May 31, and ate down most of the weeds in a couple of days.

Next week I am moving the flock to our targeted grazing site at our pasture across the river for the second year of my project targeting invasive brush with the Resilient Agriculture Landscapes Program through the Government of Saskatchewan. I am excited to share more about this program and to see the improvements in our pastures from last year! Sheep are truly a remarkable resource for land management and we love sharing what we have learned over the years.