Rules and norms for grazing sheep per 1 hectare, how much grass is eaten per hour

Pasture grazing is an economical way to feed sheep. Natural herbs are rich in vitamins and microelements. Free-grazing animals are more fertile, gain weight faster and produce healthy offspring. Modern sheep farming includes seasonal selection of terrain, calculation of grass consumption rates and the number of heads per hectare. Despite the difficulties with calculations, keeping and grazing sheep on pasture is beneficial for farmers and good for the health of consumers.

Advantages of grazing

Benefits of grazing sheep on pasture:

• freedom of movement and communication of animals;
• natural free food;
• saving time on cleaning stalls.

Milk and meat from animals that graze in nature are valued higher and are considered environmentally friendly.

Timing and organization of pasture use

How to use pasture rationally:

• analyze grass yields;
• calculate the timing of plants being eaten by animals;
• determine the permissible number of individuals per hectare of area.

The time of pasture use is limited by the maturation and restoration of grass cover. To prevent animals from trampling down the grass too quickly, the area is divided into squares and portable fences are installed. When the sheep eat the grass in one area, the partitions are moved to the next square and the animals are transferred there. The grass cover is restored within a month. Therefore, the flock is allowed into the first area no earlier than this time. The area of ​​the plots is calculated so that the herd has enough food for a week.

Where is the best place to graze sheep?

When choosing pasture, the type of terrain is taken into account. Various herbs grow in the mountains and steppes. The path to grazing also matters.

Natural pastures

In different seasons, the herd is taken to the meadow or to the mountains. But the shepherd must carefully inspect the area, since among the useful herbs there is feather grass, which is harmful to rams. The stems and leaves of the plant injure the mucous membrane of the animals' mouths, and the seeds cling to the fur, pierce the skin and cause feather grass disease.

Steppe

The most common type of pasture is steppe.

In summer, the grasses burn out and the nutritional value of the pasture decreases.

Mountain

Grazing on mountain slopes has a beneficial effect on the quality of meat, wool and milk of sheep.

Alpine and subalpine pastures are the most valuable in the world.

Sukhodolnye

Pastures on river watersheds are among the best natural grazing areas.

Natural dry pastures are highly valued because they have almost no disadvantages.

Forest

A type of pasture that is unsuitable for grazing is forests.

Light forests with partial shade and wooded mountain slopes are suitable for grazing.

marshy

Sheep are not constantly grazed in areas with high soil moisture.

In the marshy areas, cinquefoil, sedge, moss, and reeds grow - plants that sheep do not like.

water meadows

The right time for grazing on a water meadow is the beginning of spring and the end of autumn, after mowing the grass.

Among the dense grass of the water meadow one can come across buttercups and horsetail. All plants of the Buttercup family contain toxic substances that irritate the respiratory tract of sheep. Horsetail in large quantities is harmful to male sheep, as it can cause premature birth.

Artificial pastures

The volume of consumed plant mass on artificial pastures reaches 95 percent.

Grazing rules

Animals are gradually transferred from confinement to grazing on pasture.

Preparation

A sharp transition from winter keeping in a barn to grazing causes digestive upset in sheep. Therefore, the flock is prepared according to the following rules:

• released to graze for an hour in the afternoon;
• before grazing they are fed with hay;
• upon returning to the barn, they give plenty of water.

General preparation rules:

• conduct a veterinary examination of animals, vaccination against ticks, parasites and infections;
• trim the hair on the hooves and around the eyes;
• divide the herd into flocks based on age and wool quality.

The pasture is preliminarily inspected, places for rest and grazing are designated, and a movement schedule is drawn up.

Schedule

Sheep are released to pasture in late spring - in the middle or end of May, depending on the climate. At the beginning of the month, the grass is not yet tall enough and nutritious.

Grazing begins at dawn.Approximate schedule:

During spring grazing, sheep are turned out to the legume area after the morning dew has subsided and before the evening dew falls. Young moist stems ferment in the stomachs of animals, and as a result, the disease tympania develops.

Features of summer grazing:

• early arrival due to dew;
• moving to the shade to chew grass;
• night grazing.

Animals are brought to the field at 18:00. They feed until one in the morning, rest for two hours and feed again until ten or eleven in the morning. During the day, the herd rests in the sheepfold. In summer, dew softens grains and helps them digest better. But you should not graze your flock on wet alfalfa.

During winter grazing, the herd is released to pasture at 11 am. Covered parking lots with a supply of hay and water are equipped on the territory. In case of bad weather, animals are driven under shelters. Sheep farming uses grazing methods without a shepherd. Animals are kept in open pens with electric current running through the fences. Low voltage is safe for the ram, ewe and lamb, but will prevent the herd from scattering around the area.

Organization of a watering place

In summer, sheep find it more difficult to tolerate thirst than hunger. On hot days, animals are given water three times a day. In autumn, the number of trips to watering places is reduced to two times. On particularly cool days, sheep are given water once a day.

The maximum distance a herd can travel is 3 kilometers. If the reservoir is located further away, water is transported to the pasture. Sheep that travel long distances every day gain weight worse.

Tips and tricks

How to start herding sheep:

• during the first grazing, do not move frequently from one place to another, so as not to disturb;
• young animals and breeding stock are brought to the best lands;
• graze in a deployed formation so as not to trample the area;
• When choosing terrain, give preference to areas with a high content of white clover and timothy.

In summer, sites should be changed every 12 days to reduce the likelihood of infection with worms and parasitic blow flies;

What difficulties may arise

Before you start grazing you need to know that:

• spring grass contains a lot of potassium. Sheep suffer from convulsions from excess of the substance. Excess potassium is balanced with sodium, which is contained in salt. The daily norm for an adult animal in the spring is 10 grams;
• hatching on alfalfa is alternated with feeding on natural pasture. The stems of the plant are covered in the stomach with ordinary herbs and are better absorbed;
• Not all clover is good for sheep. A plant with red flowers in the first year of growth contains a nerve poison. Sheep are allowed into the red clover field after harvesting in the second year;
• The sheep huddle tightly together and keep each other warm. The herd instinct is useful in winter, but dangerous in summer. Animals must be separated to prevent heatstroke.

The health and fatness of the sheep depend on the skill of the shepherd. An experienced shepherd understands useful and harmful herbs and determines the duration of grazing based on the weather.

Sheep grazing rate per 1 ha

The rate of grass consumption depends on the type of pasture and the number of sheep.

To calculate how many animals should graze on one hectare of field, use the following formula:

G = U / N x P

Formula variables mean:

• G - number of sheep;
• Y is the yield per hectare multiplied by the percentage of pasture use;
• N is the amount of green mass that sheep eat during grazing;
• P is the period of use of pasture.

Natural lands are used by 60 percent, and artificial ones by 90. Grazing lasts 6 hours without taking into account the midday rest. One sheep eats 2 kilograms of greens per hour or 12 kilograms per day on grazing.

Is it possible to graze in the rain?

Animals suffer from indigestion from wet grass. Food swells in the rumen, the first of four stomachs. The formation of gases and foam blocks belching.

Ruminant animals first collect grass in the rumen, and then regurgitate it and chew it. Without belching, food ferments in the stomach for a long time, causing bloating and shortness of breath. In neglected conditions, animals die from suffocation. Therefore, sheep should not be grazed in the rain, immediately after a downpour, or in dew.