Best animals to graze under solar panels

[Robert Ramsay]

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

 

[frustratedfarmer]

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

 

[Robert Ramsay]

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

Robert

 

[frustratedfarmer]

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]

@Romney_Rob

 

[roscoe erf]

rabbits

 

[Pieces_of_Eight]

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...)

 

[Robert Ramsay]

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

 

[jcb360]

Sheep will chew on any unprotected cables they can reach!

 

[Romney_Rob]

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

 

[frustratedfarmer]

Hi @Romney_Rob

Have you had any issues with any aspects of them?

 

[Exfarmer]

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]

Hi @Romney_Rob

Have you had any issues with any aspects of them?

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

 

[Robert Ramsay]

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

 

[Romney_Rob]

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]

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

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!

 

[MrsPillar]

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

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

 

[Doing it for the kids]

@Romney_Rob are they fussy eaters?

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

 

[MrsPillar]

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