Understanding the dietary needs of mountain sheep is crucial for their health, productivity, and overall well-being. This article explores the various aspects of their diet and nutrition, including their feeding habits, nutritional requirements, and the importance of proper management.
Diets of Desert Bighorn Sheep
One of the most essential elements to managing a species is understanding their dietary preferences. This is especially true of desert bighorn sheep as recovery efforts begin to expand to other mountain ranges in west Texas. Knowledge about dietary preferences can help scientists and managers monitor sheep populations and habitat to make scientifically based management decisions.
In a study on Elephant Mountain WMA we evaluated the diet of a successfully reintroduced bighorn population. Fecal samples were collected in order to determine differences between rams and ewes, seasons, and mountain ranges. Diet composition was broken down by genus, species, and forage class. From September 1998 through August 2000 432 fecal pellet groups (209 rams, 209 ewes, and 14 lambs) were collected. Ninety-four plant species were identified in the diets. Forage classes were broken down into browse, forbs, grasses, and succulents.
Ram and ewe diets were very similar. However, some seasonal differences did occur. During winter rams consumed more forbs (35%) than ewes (20%). Grasses made up only 6% of ram diets, while ewes consumed 28% grasses during winter. Browse and forbs dominated lamb diets during spring and summer.
Desert bighorn sheep are opportunistic, and able to adapt their diet depending on available forage. However, a diversity of vegetation is important and helps provide suitable forage throughout the year. Browse appears to be the most important forage class for desert bighorn sheep populations in west Texas.
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Desert bighorn sheep habitat is not exclusive to that of other ungulates including elk, aoudad, mule deer, and javelina. Resource managers and landowners should be mindful of the potential for competition for forage that may exist between these species.
Opportunistic Feeding and Adaptation
Desert bighorn sheep exhibit opportunistic feeding behavior, adapting their diet to the available forage. A diversity of vegetation is crucial for providing suitable forage throughout the year. Browse appears to be the most important forage class for desert bighorn sheep populations in west Texas.
Competition with Other Ungulates
Desert bighorn sheep share their habitat with other ungulates like elk, aoudad, mule deer, and javelina. Resource managers and landowners should be mindful of the potential for competition for forage between these species.
Optimal Sheep Flock Productivity and Growth
Optimal sheep flock productivity and growth are only possible if you give your sheep an adequate diet consisting of water, carbohydrates and fats, proteins, minerals, and vitamins. You may need to include additional nutrients when required. In this section, you’ll find a range of information relating to the management of sheep nutrition, feeding and delivery, testing water quality, and estimating a flock's water needs. Knowing how, when, and what to feed your flock is one of the most important things to learn for anyone wanting to raise sheep. Sheep also need an adequate supply of fresh, clean water. When feeding your flock, the ultimate goal is to keep your sheep healthy while also keeping costs low.
The Importance of Balanced Nutrition
Sheep Optimal sheep flock productivity and growth are only possible if you give your sheep an adequate diet consisting of water, carbohydrates and fats, proteins, minerals, and vitamins. You may need to include additional nutrients when required. In this section, you’ll find a range of information relating to the management of sheep nutrition, feeding and delivery, testing water quality, and estimating a flock's water needs.
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Pasture Management and Supplementary Feeding
Pasture is a term used to describe a well-managed grazing system containing improved grasses and some legumes. During the summer, cool-season grasses slow down their growth, which can cause problems for grazers. Sheep farmers must pay careful attention in order to avoid overgrazing. Supplementary feeding of sheep may be necessary when pastures are deficient in energy and protein. The manufactured feed has to meet FDA requirements for the development and implementation of a modern, preventive, and risk-based system for food safety. Weaning is another occasion when you may be required to introduce special feeding procedures. Whatever pasture and forage management program you decide to adopt for your sheep flock, the most important factor is that it achieves an appropriate balance between available feed ingredients. It’s therefore crucial to know the nutrient content, especially when it comes to forages and forage quality management.
Forage Quality and Analysis
Various methods of feed analysis are available and can help you determine whether sheep nutrient requirements are being met. Forage quality is the basis of animal health in a grazing system. Quality is impacted by plant development and the timing of grazing. You can integrate warm-season annuals into cool-season perennial grazing to improve the quality of the grazing. A pasture can comprise many different kinds of plants, not all of which will be beneficial for your flock. During the summer, in particular, the risk of poisonous plants in pastures increases. Being able to recognize and manage plants such as poison hemlock is crucial.
Integrating Silvopasture Systems
Silvopasture is the integration of trees, livestock, and forage crops together on the same land to create dual income from timber and livestock.
Mineral Balance
Minerals are essential to support skeletal and nervous system functions. But, have you balanced your current mineral program lately with the forages and other feeds that your sheep are consuming? Sampling Bales for Forage Quality Analysis Testing stored forages for nutritional quality is an important management consideration in livestock nutrition. Sampling bales involves a few simple steps to get a representative sample. Preventive Controls for Animal Food When 01/26/2026 Length 2.5 days Event Format In-Person Provides the credentials to meet FDA requirements for development and implementation of a preventive system for food safety as stated within the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations. Mineral Needs of Sheep and Goats When 01/20/2026 Length 1 hour Event Format Virtual | Live Learn the essential mineral needs of sheep and goats, the differences between species, and how minerals impact health, productivity, and disease prevention.
Managing Invasive Weeds
Japanese Stiltgrass in Pastures By Laura Kenny, Dwight Lingenfelter, Jessica A. Williamson, Ph.D. This invasive weed is taking over Pennsylvania pastures. Learn how to control it.
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Water System Planning
Water System Planning: Estimating Water Needs By Bryan Swistock, William Sharpe, Ph.D. Find out how to estimate homeowner or farmer water needs and calculate how much water must be delivered from a private water supply to meet these needs.
Creep Feeding for Lambs
Creep Feeding Principles for Lambs and Kids Creep feeding is one method sheep and goat producers can utilize to increase lamb and kid value when selling milk-fed lambs or kids for cultural or religious celebrations. Reduce Feed Costs by Reducing Hay Waste The largest input cost for any livestock enterprise is feed costs. In forage dependent operations, most of these feed costs occur during the winter when feeding hay. Creep Feeding Principles for Lambs and Goat Kids When Watch Now Length 1 hour Recorded Feb 13, 2024 Event Format On-Demand | Recorded Discover the essential aspects of creep feeding, including setting up feeders, recommended designs, ideal feeds for creep areas, and the crucial do's and don'ts for successful implementation.
Ensuring Safety and Quality
Sheep Safety and Quality Assurance Program (SSQA) Animal Safety and Quality Assurance Programs are national programs that provide guidelines and strategies for producers which promote animal quality and safety to ensure safe food for human consumption. Feeding Market Lambs for Show Useful information on ensuring your lamb reaches its full potential at the market lamb show. Additional information covered includes concentrates, roughages, vitamins, minerals, and more.
Diet Composition of Bighorn Sheep in Baja California Sur, Mexico
Water, food and nutrition are three of the main factors that regulate the distribution and abundance of wildlife species in a given area. In Baja California Sur, Mexico, the bighorn sheep is one of the most appreciated species for its ecological and economic value within the peninsular desert ecosystem; however, many aspects of its biology, ecology and population status remain unknown. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the diet composition of the bighorn sheep, analyzing the seasonal use and availability patterns of the plant species consumed. Using two food selection indices, we tested the hypothesis that the bighorn sheep opportunistically selects plant species from its habitat in the southern zone of Sierra El Mechudo, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Vegetation Characterization and Diet Analysis
The vegetation was characterized by means of 50 linear transects measuring 100 m x 5 m (500 m2). The diet of the bighorn sheep was evaluated through the microhistological analysis of feces. We calculated the percentage of in-vitro dry-matter digestibility and the digestible energy of forage consumed by sheep. The similarity of seasonal vs. annual diet was determined through a cluster analysis.
Plant Species Identification
In the habitat, we identified 21 families with 63 species in 2010 and 22 families with 50 species in 2011. Shrubs were the dominant forms. The analyses of faeces identified 47 species, consisting of 27 shrubs (62.1 %), 12 forbs (26.9 %), six trees (10.6 %), one succulent (0.2 %) and one unidentified species (0.1 %). The cluster analysis showed seven similar groups. Non-significant differences between seasons were observed regarding the composition of plant species in the diet. Shrubs were the dominant life forms, followed by trees and succulents.
Foraging Preferences and Food Quality
Shrubs were the preferred food foraged by sheep, accounting for 62.1 % of the diet; this finding is consistent with values reported for Arizona and California. Non-significant differences were observed in the percent in-vitro dry matter digestibility and digestible energy of the plant species foraged by sheep. However, we found that sheep grazed preferentially on four plant species, three shrubs and one tree, of high food quality. In this study, the bighorn sheep behaved like a specialist; therefore, we rejected the hypothesis that this species forages opportunistically on plant species.
General Nutritional Needs of Sheep
Sheep also need an adequate supply of fresh, clean water. When feeding your flock, the ultimate goal is to keep your sheep healthy while also keeping costs low. The feeding requirements of sheep are somewhat high as with most ruminants. Their multi-chambered stomachs require a lot of food to process to make energy for the sheep. Generally speaking, livestock owners follow a simple formula when determining how much sheep eat. They need to eat about 0.03 pounds of food for every pound they weigh. Adult sheep vary in size from about 100 pounds to 350 pounds. The benefit of this situation is that the foods sheep consume the most are widely available in pastures, so the sheep will often find their own food and eat at their own pace over their grazing period. However, a large flock of sheep can eat through a pasture’s resources over time, leading farmers to rotate their livestock between fields to prevent them from leaving the area barren.
Water Requirements
Water is a critical nutrient but is often overlooked. A 50-kg sheep can be expected to consume 2-4 gallons of water per day under maintenance conditions. Intake fluctuates with changes in the environment (eg, heat and cold), activity level, and physiological state (eg, growth, pregnancy, and lactation). Clean, fresh water must be easily accessible at all times. Water can contain high concentrations of minerals and should be evaluated as part of a complete feeding program.
Forage as the Foundation of the Diet
Because they are ruminants, sheep should be fed a diet consisting primarily of good-quality forage. Forage can be hay (grass or legume), silage, or pasture/range. Forage is the best substrate for the microorganisms that live in the rumen and that provide a majority of the protein required by a sheep for energy. Forage should be clean, free of mold, and moderately mature. Maturity influences the amount of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in the forage. Forage NDF can be an intake-limiting factor. Studies show that most sheep ingest approximately 1.2% of their body weight per day in NDF. Therefore, the higher the amount of NDF in forage, the less of it a sheep will consume.
Dry Matter Intake
On average, sheep consume 1.8%-2.0% of their body weight in dry matter a day. For maintenance, sheep should consume forage with a crude protein concentration of 7%-9% and a total digestible nutrition (TDN) value of 50%. These values increase during different physiological states and under greater production pressures. Late-gestation ewes, lactating ewes, and growing lambs need a crude protein concentration and a TDN of up to 16% and 70%, respectively.
Energy Sources and Supplements
Although forages should be the foundation of any sheep nutritional plan, additional energy sources may be required to meet nutritional demands during different physiological states. At these times, fermentable fiber supplements (eg, beet pulp or soy hulls) or starches (cereal grains or pelleted concentrates) should be fed. The amount and frequency depend on the quality of the overall forage and the production state of the sheep. For example, a ewe in the final weeks of pregnancy on a moderate-quality forage may need 1-2 pounds of cereal grains per day to meet her energy requirements. A pet ewe on moderate-quality forage will likely need no cereal grains at all. Sugars and starches should never be fed to replace poor-quality forage. Overfeeding or improper feeding of starches is common in small hobby or pet farms and is a frequent cause of disease.
Mineral Requirements and Supplementation
Minerals are classified into two categories: macrominerals and trace minerals. Macrominerals are derived primarily from forages and water, all of which should be evaluated when a feeding program is being formulated. Such evaluation can be challenging for producers with smaller flocks who purchase small amounts of forages frequently from multiple sources. Concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium should be assessed, and macromineral supplements should be adjusted to try to achieve a 2:1 calcium-to-phosphorus ratio and a 4:1 potassium-to-magnesium ratio.
Trace minerals, including copper, selenium, zinc, molybdenum, and cobalt, are highly influenced by local geography. Trace minerals compete with each other for absorption, so ratios of one to another are often as important as absolute concentrations. Trace minerals are often fed as a commercial supplement. The aim in selecting such supplements is to pick the one best suited for the local needs of the flock.
Trace minerals can be mixed into a concentrate; in many small flocks, however, they are offered as a free-choice product. Loose minerals and salt are preferred over blocks. Free-choice mineral salts are mixed with sodium chloride to regulate consumption. If additional sources of salt are placed near the minerals, consumption of the mineral mix may be decreased. Sheep are extremely sensitive to copper toxicity, and any trace-mineral mix fed to sheep should contain no more than 30 ppm copper. The practice of administering copper boluses, a component of some parasite control programs, should be conducted only with extreme caution.
Vitamin Requirements
Mature sheep require all of the fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E and K. They do not require the B vitamins since these are synthesized in the rumen. The forage and feed supply all of the vitamins in adequate amounts. Vitamin D deficiencies may develop in confined sheep.
Seasonal Dietary Adaptations
Bighorn sheep are ruminant herbivores that possess a large rumen and reticulum relative to body weight. Bighorn sheep select the most nutritious forage from what is available, so the composition of their diet varies seasonally and regionally. In years when adequate autumn-early winter rainfall initiates germination of annual plants, these species make up a large proportion of the diet during the growing season, and they may also be consumed in dried form around the beginning in May. Of particular note is catclaw acacia (Acacia greggii), a deep-rooted deciduous species in the pea family that maintains green leaves throughout the summer when other plant species have largely ceased growing.
Rainfall and Vegetation Growth
Vegetation growth in deserts is limited primarily by inadequate soil moisture. Desert bighorn sheep life history and demographic rates are greatly affected by rainfall patterns because diet quality is dependent on the amount of green growing vegetation in their habitat. Summer rainfall occurs largely as localized cloud bursts from monsoonal moisture that moves into the desert from southern sources, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. When those storms hit mountain ranges occupied by bighorn sheep, much of the water leaves as flash floods, while hot temperatures quickly evaporate what moisture penetrates the soil. Consequently, there is little increase in forage growth from most summer rain. Cool season storms produce soaking rains that are geographically widespread and are derived from moisture that moves across California mostly from the north and west. In the Mojave Desert, the amount of October-April rainfall that enables forage growth during the winter-spring growing season is highly variable, and it correlates with bighorn lamb recruitment. Timing of rainfall in the cool season also plays a role.
Sonoran Desert Diet Variations
The southernmost bighorn sheep habitat in California, in the Sonoran Desert, differs in the relationship between rainfall and diet quality. In washes, browse makes up the largest portion of forage, and growth peaks at the time of highest rainfall, which can fluctuate greatly. Catclaw provides a predictable source of nutritious forage during the hot season, but is lacking during the much of the cool season because it is deciduous.
General Feeding Habits
Sheep eat grass, legumes, leaves, and flowering plants. Sheep eat grasses, plants, legumes, and forbs, since they are strict herbivores. Sheep are ruminants, like cows, so their digestive system is complex enough to break down the foods they eat. They receive nutrients from plants by chewing their food, regurgitating it as cud, breaking it down further, and then sending it back into their digestive system. Sheep will eat a wide variety of different foods, but they prefer to eat ones that they can consume quickly.
Domesticated Sheep
The vast majority of sheep are domesticated and live on farms these days. In fact, there are more sheep in Scotland than people, with millions of them living on farms. In captivity, sheep tend to feed on whatever they can graze in their pasture along with supplementary foods offered by the farmers. However, sheep have different needs in the winter when most of their pastures lack the growth to support the herd. During that time, it’s up to the farmers to provide for their flocks by offering rich foods along with their typical fare. Farmers must provide this food to sheep through feeders to reduce the chances of it becoming muddied and inedible.
Lambs
Baby sheep are known as lambs, and their dietary needs are quite a bit different than those of their parents. Like many other mammals, lambs require milk from their mother for the first portion of their lives. Typically, a lamb will feed on milk exclusively for the first week or two. By the time a lamb is 4 to 6 weeks old, it will be getting about half of its nutrition from the mother’s milk and the other half from grazing or other sources.
Management and Nutrition
If management of a flock could be distilled down to a primary principle, it would be nutrition. Sheep that are properly and adequately fed grow better, produce more offspring, and suffer fewer health issues, including internal parasites. Feed is often the largest expenditure for any producer, particularly for flocks that are confined during part of the year, so decisions regarding nutrition have important financial repercussions. In resource-limited countries, lack of adequate nutrition is a common management challenge. In resource-rich countries, overfeeding more often contributes to disease and production loss.
Nutrition is influenced heavily by local conditions. Therefore, the specifics of any feeding plan should be tailored to the environment immediate to the flock. In general, all sheep should have daily access to water, good-quality forage, and supplemental vitamins and minerals.
Wool Growth and Nutrition
Wool growth, unlike gestation, lactation, or body growth, is not a physiological state that requires additional nutrition. Maintenance energy requirements are considered sufficient for wool growth. However, the quality of wool produced is influenced by a sheep’s nutritional plane.