Reseeding Pasture the Natural Way—With Livestock and occasional Mowing
At Grizzly Acres Farm, we believe in working with nature, not against it. That philosophy extends into how we restore and reseed our pastures—using the power of our sheep, chickens, and even well-timed mowing to regenerate the land.
While traditional reseeding might involve tilling or costly machinery, we take a more holistic approach. Here’s how we encourage diverse, thriving forage growth through animal impact and mechanical assistance—without ever disturbing the soil.
Why Reseeding Is Important
Over time, pastures can become sparse or dominated by low-value species. Reseeding improves:
Forage quality and diversity
Soil structure and fertility
Drought resilience and carbon cycling
Instead of starting from scratch, we enhance what’s already there by managing the timing of grazing, seeding, and mowing.
Step 1: Mob Grazing to Disturb the Soil and knock down seed heads
We start by using tight sheep rotations to trample down vegetation, create hoof impact, and add fertility through manure. This short-term disturbance:
Loosens the thatch layer
Encourages soil-to-seed contact
Adds organic matter and microbial activity
Our sheep basically do the work of a no-till drill—just with hooves instead of steel.
Step 2: Mow Mature Seed Heads to Encourage Natural Reseeding (Optional but full proof)
As we rotate our livestock through the pastures, we often follow with a strategic mow, especially when grasses and forbs have matured and gone to seed.
Why mow?
It knocks down seed heads, allowing them to fall and reseed the soil surface naturally.
It reduces weed pressure and keeps undesirable species from going to seed.
It promotes even regrowth and prevents lodging (flattening of mature plants).
Mowing just after flowering ensures maximum seed drop without harming next year’s growth—and mimics natural disturbance from wild grazing herds.
Step 3: Broadcast Seeding (As Needed)
In thin or heavily trafficked areas, we’ll broadcast a diverse seed mix—including clovers, grasses, and herbs—directly after grazing and/or mowing.
We aim to time this just before a good rain so seeds settle into the soil naturally. The hoof action from earlier grazing improves germination, and the mown residue acts as a mulch layer to protect emerging seedlings.
Step 4: Use Chickens to Finish the Job
Our pastured laying hens rotate in behind the sheep. Their scratching and pecking help:
Incorporate seed into the soil
Break up manure piles
Control pests
Add nitrogen-rich droppings
It’s a simple way to turn biology into biology—no fossil fuels or tillage required.
Step 5: Rest and Recover
The final (and most important) step is letting the reseeded paddock fully recover—often 60–90 days or more, depending on season and species.
We don’t return sheep until the plants are strong, rooted, and ready to handle grazing pressure again. This rest period allows new forages to establish and build resilience for future rotations.
Why This Method Works
This process is simple, scalable, and rooted in ecological principles:
✅ Builds soil without disturbing it
✅ Uses the natural lifecycle of plants to reseed themselves
✅ Leverages animal impact for seeding and fertilization
✅ Requires minimal equipment and no synthetic inputs
We’ve found that the combination of grazing, mowing, and resting produces the most consistent long-term improvements to forage quality on our farm.
Final Thoughts from the Flock
At Grizzly Acres Farm, our livestock do more than provide meat and eggs—they manage the land. By carefully rotating our animals and timing our mowing to work with nature’s rhythms, we’re able to continually improve our pastures year after year.
This approach doesn’t just grow better grass—it grows better lamb, better eggs, and a healthier farm ecosystem.
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