Should Sheep Be Kept Outside Year-round

While most modern day sheep farmers prefer to house their sheep indoors most of the time

, there are some who keep the sheep outside for most of the year. There are many pros and cons in keeping sheep outside year-round.

Technically, sheep benefit from the outside environment in two ways. Firstly, the abundance of the outside air allows for proper ventilation and secondly, they get a lot of exercise when kept outside. Experts in sheep farming also say that the fleece of the sheep stay cleaner when they are kept outdoors.

Sheep naturally, prefer a mixed diet and therefore can graze on their own when kept outside. Moreover, their weight is not affected by their eating habits thanks to the exercise they get living outside. You can save considerably on the money spent on feed especially, in the winter as they eat a lot during this time. Moreover, the tall fescues that are common to North America tend to be the best forage for sheep.

A sheep has the ability to graze through snow layers approximately 12 inches high and as such, face no problems in feeding during the season. In fact, if the snow is not hard, then they can eat it. This reduces the need to provide them with water once a day as they naturally consume the liquid by ingesting the snow.

However, lactating ewes need to be provided with water at all times. The major disadvantage of keeping sheep outdoors is the lack of adaptability of the new born lambs to harsh conditions. A two week old lamb can easily die in a wet and cold environment. Hence, you still need to have emergency shelters to house the livestock after shearing and/or during lambing. In the end, clean space and adequate food for the livestock are the primary requirements for any sheep farmer.

by: Peter Stacey

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