# putting sheep on pasture during the winter?



## bonbean01 (Oct 30, 2011)

Will putting my sheep on pasture during the winter harm the grass for next year?


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## Beekissed (Oct 30, 2011)

I think that usually depends on how many sheep, for how long, what condition is the pasture in now, how many sheep per acre, etc.  

Sheep aren't heavy like cows and won't exactly break the grass crowns but they might overgraze the grass while it is in a weakened, dormant state, so it really depends on the above factors.  

Most of the farmers around here pen their sheep for the winter into barns and grain/hay them.  Some pen them into sacrifice areas for the same purpose.  I rarely see sheep out on pasture around here in the winter months.  

I don't know if that has more to do with preserving the grass or because of the predators more actively preying on livestock in the winter months.


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## aggieterpkatie (Oct 31, 2011)

If they graze the grass below 3" (or 2" at the very lowest) then yes, they will harm the grass.  It would be good to set up a "sacrifice lot" if you don't already have one. This is an area where they can stay when there is no pasture (like in drought conditions, or if it's too muddy, etc).  You can feed them in there, and they've got space, but they'll stay off your pasture.


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## Beekissed (Oct 31, 2011)

I do this and also provide shelter over feeding areas so they don't get muddy and trampled from excess use.  I provide dry and wind-blocked lounging areas and place wood shavings in these to keep things dryer.  If you have fine wool breeds, you might want to not have the shavings but for my hair sheep it worked wonderfully. 

A sacrifice area doesn't have to be large, it need only have a place for the animals to get out of the wind and weather and a place to keep hay/feed dry and reasonably dry footing....I don't like the sheep having constantly wet feet from deep muddy conditions.  A place with good runoff/drainage is nice.


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## bonbean01 (Oct 31, 2011)

Thanks all...we've been wintering them as you suggested and will continue to do that.  Just wondered if there was a way of getting out of buying more hay, but will get more in and winter them as usual.  Even in the summer, we always put them in their enclosure with shelter every night, with lights on.  No predator attacks yet and we plan to keep it that way!


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## RustyDHart (Oct 31, 2011)

I pulled my flock off the big pastures about a week ago.....and started to feed hay.   They have a 2 acre Winter yard that they stay in 'til the middle of May.   They have the barn to go in and plenty of area to exercise....   Good hay and minerals are essentials for Winter sheep keeping.


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## bonbean01 (Oct 31, 2011)

yup...ifin it ain't broken...don't fix it


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## theawesomefowl (Oct 31, 2011)

I'm going to put my girls on a bare spot in the winter so they have room, and let them chew down the stumps there. I have to reseed it anyway, so  they may as well be there!


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## secuono (Nov 10, 2011)

There is a farm in VA that has purely grass fed beef and lambs. 200 acres over a big mountain. They rotate them all year long, never penned. Grass seems fine and they have a lot of cows and a lot of sheep! 
Might help to ask one of these sheep farmers.



As for me, I'm leaving them free on the 4.5 acres w/the horses 24/7 no matter the time of year.


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