Why must sheep be grazed rather than kept in pens like pigs?

Summary: Sheep always have to be driven out to graze, so why can't they be kept in pens like pigs?

I believe many friends who grew up in the countryside have herded sheep. As a child, herding felt quite boring; with nothing to do, you would just sit beside the flock watching your own sheep to keep them from wandering off. In fact, very few people herd sheep nowadays, and even the number of farming households raising sheep has declined.

Why herd sheep?

First, because sheep are herbivores. Friends who have raised sheep should know that sheep have a large appetite and need a great deal of feed every day. On average, a single sheep needs about 3 jin of forage per day. By that calculation, if you raise a dozen or so sheep, you need several dozen jin of forage a day. If kept in pens, that amount of forage is considerable. But grazing sheep can save a lot of forage. Moreover, in the past, rural households did not raise many sheep; mostly the elderly tended sheep at home, which not only saved forage but also gave the elderly a chance to get out and about.

Second is the nature of sheep themselves. Not only do sheep in our country need to be grazed; sheep in other countries are also grazed. It seems sheep really are better off being grazed. Sheep are different from livestock such as pigs; sheep are more suited to grazing. This helps make the mutton more delicious, chewy and springy, with not too much fat, and it benefits the sheep's own health and reduces the occurrence of disease. Perhaps it is precisely for this reason that, long ago, when people domesticated sheep, they did not adopt a fully penned rearing method as they did with pigs.

What issues should be paid attention to when herding sheep?

First is safety. Sheep are a minor matter; life is a major matter. In fact, for ordinary farming households raising a dozen or so sheep, the chance of danger is relatively small. But if you are a large-scale sheep raiser with several hundred sheep at home and even hired shepherds, then you need to be careful, especially the shepherds. Watch out for robbers when herding, and also be careful to avoid encountering wolf packs and the like.

Second are some considerations for grazing. Summer grazing is the best time for fattening sheep, but there are also many issues to watch out for. Because summer is relatively hot, be careful to prevent the flock from suffering heatstroke. It is best not to go out grazing between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; even if you do go out, be sure to graze the sheep in shady places.

There is more rain in summer, so try to keep the flock indoors during rainy and windy weather. If you encounter thunderstorm weather, it is best to use a large piece of fiber cloth you carry with you to cover the flock so they can temporarily take shelter from the rain. It is best not to graze in areas with steep slopes, to avoid startling the flock. After the flock returns to the pen, be sure to keep their drinking water clean to prevent infectious diseases among the sheep.

In winter, when forage is insufficient, be sure to supplement the flock's feed in time. Make sure the drinking water for the flock is at a suitable temperature and not too cold. When herding, pay attention to the growth conditions of the forage, and do not drive the flock onto grassland with thorns or awns, because after eating such forage the sheep are prone to gastrointestinal damage.

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