Best animals to graze under solar panels

R

Robert Ramsay

Member

Location

Angus, Scotland

• Jan 15, 2016

• #1

Hi,
We are just having a 25 acre solar farm installed. I was looking to put Soay sheep under them but have been warned that they are as much goat as they are sheep and are likely to climb onto the panels. What animals are people grazing under panels and at what stocking rate. Would like to use pretty and delicious breed as we have holiday cottages.
Thanks

 

F

frustratedfarmer

Member

• Jan 15, 2016

• #2

I will be interested in hearing what you decide to do.

Are all your cables in ducting right up to the base of the Panals?

Apparantly they Chew any un protected cables

 

R

Robert Ramsay

Member

Location

Angus, Scotland

• Jan 15, 2016

• #3

By "they" do you mean any sheep? or certain breed?

Robert

 

F

frustratedfarmer

Member

• Jan 15, 2016

• #4

Sheep in general but yet to investigate!

If you get no luck on here maybe contact some maintance teams and get their opinion

 

Great In Grass

Member

✓

Location

Cornwall.

• Jan 15, 2016

• #5

@Romney_Rob

 

roscoe erf

Member

Livestock Farmer

Location

South Wales UK Famous for rain and sheep

• Jan 15, 2016

• #6

rabbits

 

Pieces_of_Eight

Member

• Jan 15, 2016

• #7

Free range layers would impress your townie visitors, especially some pretty hybrids that lay fancy eggs.

(or get geese if you've a footpath through it...)

 

R

Robert Ramsay

Member

Location

Angus, Scotland

• Jan 15, 2016

• #8

Plenty of rabbits about but think we might keep them out!
Not aloud chickens but geese could be good.

 

J

jcb360

Member

Location

Dark side of the bog................

• Jan 15, 2016

• #9

Sheep will chew on any unprotected cables they can reach!

 

Romney_Rob

Member

Location

Baldock, Hertfordshire

• Jan 15, 2016

• #10

Hello we graze around 120 acres of panels and are hopefully working on taking on a lot more we graze romneys underneath and get on well. You are more than welcome to come and have a walk around if you wish

 

F

frustratedfarmer

Member

• Jan 15, 2016

• #11

Hi @Romney_Rob

Have you had any issues with any aspects of them?

 

Exfarmer

Member

Location

Bury St Edmunds

• Jan 15, 2016

• #12

Ddefinitely do not have chickens, they will roost on the panels and crap all over them
Any breed of sheep as long as they cannot get at the cables

 

Romney_Rob

Member

Location

Baldock, Hertfordshire

• Jan 16, 2016

• #13

frustratedfarmer said:

Hi @Romney_Rob

Have you had any issues with any aspects of them?

Click to expand...

Slug problems when trying to reseed would be the big one, depending on site checking can be interesting!!

 

R

Robert Ramsay

Member

Location

Angus, Scotland

• Jan 16, 2016

• #14

Thanks Romney Rob. Are they a good tame breed? Holiday cottagers will want to be friends with them. Are they particularly tasty?

 

Romney_Rob

Member

Location

Baldock, Hertfordshire

• Jan 16, 2016

• #15

Would guess at least 80% of New Zealand lamb sold is Romney, it doesn't seem to get too many complaints!!

Yes they are fairly tame once they get used to being handled

 

Romney_Rob

Member

Location

Baldock, Hertfordshire

• Jan 16, 2016

• #16

 

F

Frank-the-Wool

Member

Livestock Farmer

Location

East Sussex

• Jan 16, 2016

• #17

We graze Romneys under 30 acres of panels. No problems at all apart from making sure you know how many you have put in so you can find them again.

The dogs get a bit confused trying to round up lambs!

 

M

MrsPillar

New Member

Location

North Yorkshire

• Feb 11, 2018

• #18

Romney_Rob said:

Hello we graze around 120 acres of panels and are hopefully working on taking on a lot more we graze romneys underneath and get on well. You are more than welcome to come and have a walk around if you wish

Click to expand...

Hello, i hope.its ok to pick your brain. I was wondering how many head/acre can you stock under solar pannals? We are still in the planning stages still. Also what forage is best for growing under them? Thankyou

 

D

Doing it for the kids

Member

• Feb 11, 2018

• #19

@Romney_Rob are they fussy eaters?

Anxious to keep shoots nibbled off under the panels, saves on spraying

 

M

MrsPillar

New Member

Location

North Yorkshire

• Feb 11, 2018

• #20

I run romneys and highlanders so no not fussy at all... is there a better grass clover mix that should be used... also its currently a stubble field so it will be new seeds. I persume it will need drilling before the pannals a put in place