Winter Grazing: Tips for Sheep Management

By Cheryl Cosner

(Author’s Note:  Though this article is specific to winter grazing sheep, the principles also apply to beef cattle.)

Winter grazing in snowy northern regions of the U.S. was practically unheard of until only a few decades ago.   In 2005, winter grazing reshaped our entire sheep operation.

By working with other farmers, our sheep custom grazed aftermath and cover crops from late September through early March.  Eventually, we custom grazed ten months out the year.

This management change has not only led to improved flock performance but added dollars to our bottom line. 

Nutritional Needs
The cornerstone of successful winter grazing is a deep understanding of your flock's nutritional requirements.  Small ruminants have a higher metabolic rate than cattle and so require a higher plane of nutrition to maintain their body condition for pregnancy and milk production.

By knowing your flock’s crude protein (CP) and total digestible nutrient (TDN) requirements, you can match your sheep to their feed resources.

Body Condition Score (BCS) plays a crucial role, as a proper BCS provides insulation, energy reserves, and protects against cold stress.  

 Types of Winter Forage

Crop Aftermath or Residue
We started winter grazing our sheep on alfalfa aftermath. Since we are located in an alfalfa growing region, we benefit from late fall regrowth and relatively mild winters, making alfalfa grazing a staple in our program.

Examples of feeds in this category include:

• Alfalfa hay regrowth

• Wheat stubble

• Volunteer small grain regrowth

• Corn residue

• Fall vegetable residues, including pumpkins, squash, carrots, kale, cabbage, and broccoli

Crop residues allow farmers to "stack" enterprises—harvesting a cash crop and later grazing livestock on the same field.   Crop aftermath is not always consistently available.  Weather and irrigation water influence the regrowth of alfalfa and volunteer grain. Harvesting techniques also affect how much residue remains in the field after crop removal. Nutritional content can vary widely, so consider forage testing feeds for accurate CP and TDN content. 

Seeded Crops – Cover Crops
Cover crops seeded for winter consumption can extend the grazing season through fall and into winter. Once established, these cool-season annuals make exceptional feed for young stock such as feeder and fat lambs and ewes in mid-to-late pregnancy.

Examples of feeds in this category include:

• Turnips

• Kale

• Rape

• Triticale

• Rye

• Vetch

• Winter wheat

• Annual ryegrass

Winter grazing these forages provides a predictable, high-quality feed and high dry matter per acre.  Though these plants are cold tolerant, they will winterkill if temperatures reach extreme lows.

Stockpiled Perennial Grass
Perennial pastures can be stockpiled for winter feed. This requires a careful grazing plan to optimize stock density, grazing intervals and the nutritional needs of the flock.

Examples of grasses that can be stockpiled include:

• Orchard grass

• Fescues

• Perennial ryegrass

Cool-season grasses may continue to grow into the fall but will eventually slow, limiting plant recovery. Sheep might graze a paddock only once during the season to protect the field for future use. Grass stands can be overseeded with clovers, annual grain or annual grass to improve the quality and quantity of the graze.

Sheep Management
Sheep are ideally suited for winter grazing, with their full fleece and subcutaneous fat providing protection against cold. However, wet conditions and driving winds can cause cold stress.

A windbreak of hedges, brush or a man-made break may adequately protect sheep from cold winds. We've used 4x4 big bales of straw to create a windbreak in our very windy early springs.

While sheep can handle brief rainy spells quite well, their well-being suffers when their fleece remains consistently wet.  Sheep need refuge from prolonged, intense downpours.

An open shed can provide shelter during these times without the risk of high indoor humidity that could lead to pneumonia.

In milder climates, sheep may not need significant shelter but they benefit from protection in muddy and wet conditions.

Winter grazing requires you, as a responsible shepherd, to be prepared for inclement weather. Know your climate and potential challenges.

 Snowy Conditions
Snow depth, texture, water content, and soil conditions can directly influence grazing. Sheep can dig through snow to reach feed, but snow texture matters.

Soft, dry snow is easier for sheep to dig through, while heavy, icy snow may require supplementary hay.

Snow contains only 4 to 10% water, so keep a full water trough readily available for sheep to visit if needed

 Equipment for Winter Grazing
The equipment for winter grazing is simple. Sheep can graze behind one to three strands of electric wire or electric netting. Without proper training, sheep are likely to breach single-strand fences. We use electric netting for all our grazing as none of the fields we graze are fenced. We've found that netting is superior at keeping sheep in and predators and dogs out.

Winter Fencing Tips
We rely on battery-powered fence chargers since we don’t have access to electricity. We've found our batteries maintain a good charge for a week, even in the winter cold.

Since we check sheep and fences daily, we rotate out used batteries as part of the job. We only use deep-cycle marine batteries with high-cranking amps for our fences. By checking our fences daily with a voltage tester, we can change weak batteries before they go flat.

Though water is a conductor of electricity, snow and ice are not.  Both will short out fences. Since we use netting, we still have a netting barrier that will (hopefully) keep sheep where they belong when snow shorts the fence.

Be prepared for winter winds to blow loose vegetation—such as tumbleweeds or squash vines—onto portable fences, where these build up, loosen posts, break wires, and short out the charge.

In particularly cold temperatures, when the ground is frozen, posts are not only difficult to drive into the ground but much harder to remove. When difficult weather is predicted, we fence paddocks ahead to avoid these challenges.

Winter Grazing Economics
Winter grazing reduces feed costs by extending pasture use, saving up to $75 in hay per ewe annually. Grazed ewes are in better body condition for lambing, improving lamb health and milk yields.

Other benefits include cleaner fleeces, reduced respiratory infections, and less parasite exposure. Grazing sheep requires less daily feeding and barn cleaning, and they enhance soil fertility through nutrient distribution.

Conclusion
Winter grazing offers economic and practical benefits, improving livestock health and reducing feed costs. By understanding your flock's nutritional needs, managing forage, and preparing for winter conditions, you can effectively implement winter grazing and improve your livestock performance and your bottom line.