Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Sheep Nutrition and Pastures

Pasture

In Ontario, livestock producers use almost half a million hectares of improved pasture and three-quarters of a million hectares of unimproved pasture land. Good pastures don't just happen. They are the result of good management - management based on the knowledge of how plants grow, their fertility requirements and their ability to withstand grazing and trampling by animals.

• OMAFRA General Pastures Page

General Nutrition

Feed is the single largest cost associated with raising small ruminants, typically accounting for 60% or more of total production costs. Nutrition has a very large influence on flock reproduction, milk production, and lamb growth. For nutrition information, follow the links below.

• Feeding Sugar Beets
• Forage and Feed Analysis
• Laboratories Offering Mycotoxin Analysis
• Nutritional Strategies to Reduce Nutrient Output in Sheep Manure
• Protein Content in Modern Sheep Rations (Order No. 03-019)
• Sheep Nutrient Unit Calculator
• Variability Of Nutrient Content In Feed Ingredients - What Effect it has on Nutrient Output (Order No. 04-005)
• Definitions of Feed Manufacturing and Livestock Nutrition Terms (Order No. 08-039)
• Mycotoxins Can Impair Milk Production
• Feed Analysis Reports Explained (Order No. 16-049)
• Faba Beans as Protein in Livestock Feed (Order No. 16-057)

Feeding The Flock

• Don't Lose Hay to Poor Fertility
• Feeding Systems for Sheep (Order No. 03-013)
• Processing Grains: Is there any Bang for the Buck?
• Feeding Corn Silage to Sheep (Order No. 14-021)
• Low Labour Feeding Systems and Bunk Design for Sheep (Order No. 14-023)

Ewes

• Diet Supplementation for Grazing and Outwintering Ewes (Order No. 02-045)
• Feed Hay First
• Flushing The Ewe Flock: Is It Beneficial? (Order No. 02-055)
• Nutrition Of The Ewe Flock
• Pregnancy Disorders (Metabolic) in Transition Ewes (Order No. 03-017)
• Replacement Ewe Lamb Nutrition
• Replacing Water with Clean Snow for Ewes and Beef Cows (Order No. 09-065)
• Total Mixed Ration (TMR) Use in the Ewe Flock (Order No. 14-025)

Lambs

• Artificial Rearing of Lambs (Order No. 99-019)
• Nutrition and Feeding Systems for Market Lamb Finishing (Order No. 14-041)

Learn More

• An Introduction to Feeding Small Ruminants
  Basics on feeding and nutrition for sheep and other small ruminants
• North Dakota State University Sheep Feeding Guidelines
  Sheep nutrition requirements and suggestions.
• Nutrient Requirements of Sheep
  A comprehensive scientific publication on the nutrition and feeding of sheep, as well as metaboic disorders of sheep produced by the National Research Council (NRC).
• Sheep Nutrition and Feeding Programs
  Feed and nutrition of sheep during all stages of life.