How Many Sheep Can One Acre of Land Raise? An Analysis of Reasonable Stocking Density

In rural areas, sheep farming is very suitable for free-range grazing, usually directly on the hills with no limit. But if there is a limit of one acre, planting one acre of forage grass to raise sheep, then how many sheep can one acre of land raise, or how many sheep can one acre of barren hill raise? What are the factors that determine the number of sheep raised? Let's introduce it to everyone right away.

1. Number Per Acre

If you plant forage grass for semi-free-range farming, generally one acre of land can raise 20 sheep, but it is best to plant the forage grass with the best growth vigor, such as giant juncao grass, and plant perennial forage grass. Once giant juncao grass is planted, it can be harvested for more than ten years. If it is pure free-range grazing, perhaps only about 15 sheep can be raised. But for pure pen-raising, the grass from one acre is also enough to feed 20 sheep.

2. Suitable Forage Grass

Giant juncao grass is a well-known good forage grass for livestock, mainly because of its high crude protein, good palatability, high yield, and it is also a perennial grass. The leaves are large, juicy and soft. Sheep that eat it get better nutrition and it is easy to absorb. Moreover, this grass is easy to plant and grows well. You can also choose forage grasses such as Mexican corn, purple alfalfa grass, ryegrass, sheep grass, and smooth brome. If pen-raising, you can choose corn green leaves.

3. Yield Per Acre

Planting one acre of forage grass can harvest 2000 jin of fresh grass a year, but different forage grasses have different yields. For example, planting ryegrass, one acre of land can harvest 8000 jin of forage grass a year, with a grass production period of about half a year. But planting other grasses gives different yields, possibly higher or possibly lower. However, generally one year of ryegrass can raise 10 sheep, and if you also plant giant juncao grass, there is basically no problem for one year of raising.

4. Feed Intake

Generally, the dry matter a sheep needs per day is 3%. If an average sheep weighs 35 kg, then one sheep needs 1.05 jin of dry matter per day. And dry matter accounts for about 20% of forage grass. The dry matter of 8000 jin of forage grass is about 1600 kg. Then one sheep needs to eat about 2.5 jin of forage grass per day. So this is roughly the feed intake of a sheep.

The number of sheep that can be raised per acre of land must be decided according to the environment, the forage grass planted, the forage yield, and the nutritional needs of the sheep. It is not necessarily an absolute number, but only a rough reference. The actual situation should be analyzed according to actual conditions.