Jungle Grazing

From time to time I receive emails from Frank Egan, a livestock producer from Australia. He sent me the photo and the following email: 

Jungle grazing

"I am attaching a couple of photos of what I refer to as 'jungle grazing,' its a new area I am exploring. As you can see the lambs graze areas almost taller than themselves, (common Bracken Fern, Pleridium esculentum) without any apparent fear of predators.

The understory is Microlaena stipoides, a native grass with the protein/feed value similar to alfalfa. The bracken is quite poisonous to stock but our sheep make 'no' attempt to eat it.

The environment wins as it provides feed and shelter for all manner of native wildlife. I believe this is a behavioral change in the stock different to the 'norm'. I think it's a result of generation-to-generation transfer of feeding behavior."

-Frank Egan