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Agricultural
agistment
A well-treed farm that provides high quality
shade and shelter for stock may be more attractive to farmers
who want to lease land for agistment. Properly designed shelterbelts
and stock havens have been proven to increase lambing rates,
enhance live weight gain of stock, increase milk yields, and
improve ram and ewe fertility.
For tree growers without their own stock, agistment not only
provides a useful income while the trees are growing but may
help in controlling weeds and reducing the fire hazard. Care
must be taken to ensure that stock dont damage the trees.
Stock may not only browse the foliage they can chew into the
bark or even rub or push on the trees. Sheep are often less
damaging to young trees than cattle although all types of stock
grazing amongst trees should be carefully monitored for damage.
Farmers should take particular care during the early part of
the growing season when the pasture is fresh and the sap is
running in the trees. The high quality food allows for increased
consumption of roughage and the sweet sap running down the tree
stems can be attractive to stock.
Supporting agricultural production
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