This chapter is divided into two sections. The first discusses rangeland and its management as well as appropriate sheep production systems and management practices to meet both production and land management goals. The second section discusses pasture and forage crop management for profitable sheep production. We would caution the reader that it is not possible to prescribe specific management practices, pasture mixtures, and other factors that may be site specific to your enterprise. We encourage consultation with local extension specialists, experienced producers, and other experts in developing specific management plans and practices.
Herded rangelands provide the forage base for many large western sheep enterprises.
They usually comprise predominantly public land managed by the U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management. Herded rangelands include winter desert range, sagebrush grass steppe, and the alpine range types. These rangelands are used for seasonal grazing and thus are well suited to a herded sheep operation. Grazing in riparian and other sensitive areas can easily be regulated. In most cases, sheep are moved through an allotment, grazing each area for only a short period of time, and do not return to the area until the following year.