What issues need attention when grazing a flock of sheep

1. Goats and sheep should not be grazed together in the same flock.

1 Goats and sheep have different grazing habits. Goats graze in a straight line forward and rarely eat regrowth behind them; sheep, on the other hand, readily eat regrowth. Experienced old herders have a saying: “Goats do not eat regrowth, and sheep that do not eat regrowth do not get fat.”

2 Goats and sheep differ in temperament and living habits. Goats are lively and active by nature, agile in limb, and quick in movement; when grazed in mountainous areas they are good at climbing and can even climb rather steep slopes, and have long enjoyed the fine reputation of “goat monkeys”; sheep, by contrast, are gentle and lazy, relatively clumsy in limb, slower in movement, unwilling to climb steeper slopes, and have the nickname of “dead” sheep, and often lag behind when grazed in the same flock. Therefore, when forming flocks for grazing, goats and sheep should be grouped separately, so as to facilitate grazing and the growth and development of the animals. 

2. Grass after rain, dew-covered grass, and frost- or snow-covered grass should not be grazed.

Some people believe that grazing “water grass” after rain and in the morning when there is dew lets the animals eat and drink at the same time, so that they fill up on grass and drink their fill of water, but this is unscientific. Because when sheep eat a large amount of “water grass,” it is relatively easy for it to spoil and ferment in the gastrointestinal tract and produce gas, inducing acute gastrointestinal bloat, and if rescue is not timely it can easily cause death. At the same time, “water grass” often carries liver fluke metacercariae, which can harm the sheep when eaten along with the grass. Furthermore, when grazing after rain and when there is dew, the ground is damp and muddy, and mud and water are relatively easily trapped between the hoof walls, making the sheep susceptible to hoof rot (commonly known as sodden hoof), difficulty in walking, and in severe cases the hoof shell falls off, and the animal is culled as worthless. In addition, grazing frost- or snow-covered grass makes sheep susceptible to diseases such as abdominal pain and miscarriage.