# Feed Budgeting for Sheep Flocks: Calculating Annual Forage Needs ## Key Takeaways - Dry matter intake for mature ewes ranges from 3.5% to 4.5% of body weight daily, with increased requirements (up to 7 lbs DM/day for twins) during late pregnancy and early lactation, necessitating precise weight estimation via scales or body condition scoring. - Annual stored forage needs for a 150 lb ewe without year-round pasture can approximate 1,400 to 1,600 lbs of dry matter, translating to 70-80 tons of hay equivalent (90% DM) for a 100-ewe flock, excluding waste. - Hay quality testing is critical, as energy (TDN) and protein requirements (e.g., 65-70% TDN and 12-15% protein for early lactation) must be met; poor quality hay necessitates supplementation or increased intake, risking pregnancy toxemia and reduced lamb survival. - A 15-20% buffer for waste, weather variability (cold increases energy needs by 10-20% per 10°F drop below critical temperature), and lower-than-expected feed quality is essential for preventing mid-winter shortages. - Efficient feeding methods, such as using bale rings or unrolling hay, reduce waste from 30-50% (ground feeding) to 10-20%, directly impacting the quantity of stored feed required and overall cost-effectiveness. --- Feed is the largest single variable cost on most sheep operations, and running out of forage mid-winter is one of the most stressful and expensive problems a flock owner can face. This guide walks through the complete process of calculating annual forage needs for a sheep flock, from estimating dry matter intake per animal to planning hay, pasture, and supplemental feed across the full year. It is written for commercial sheep producers, small flock owners, and farm advisers who want a practical, numbers-based system for matching forage supply to animal demand. A proper feed budget does more than prevent hunger. It protects ewe body condition at critical stages, supports lamb growth, reduces waste, and helps you buy hay in bulk when prices are fair instead of paying emergency prices in January. The process involves understanding sheep nutritional requirements, measuring or estimating your forage inventory, calculating daily dry matter needs, and building a month-by-month plan that accounts for pasture growth, hay quality, and body condition goals. This article covers all of those pieces with specific numbers and worked examples. ## At a Glance - A mature ewe weighing 150 pounds needs about 4.5 pounds of dry matter per day for maintenance, and more during late pregnancy and lactation. - Plan for 3.5 to 4 percent of body weight in dry matter intake for mature ewes, and 3 to 4 percent for growing lambs. - A typical 150 pound ewe needs roughly 1,400 to 1,600 pounds of stored forage dry matter per year when pasture is not available year-round. - For a 100 ewe flock, that means 70 to 80 tons of hay equivalent (at 90 percent dry matter) as the stored feed reserve. - Test your hay. Feeding unknown quality hay is guessing with your flock's condition and your wallet. - Weigh a few representative animals or use [body condition scoring](/knowledge/animal-farming/farm-management/body-condition-scoring-a-tool-for-feed-management) rather than eyeballing weights. - Build in a 15 to 20 percent buffer for waste, weather, and lower quality feed than expected. - Pasture provides significant forage for 4 to 7 months in most climates. Adjust stored feed needs based on your actual grazing season. - Body condition score your ewes at weaning, breeding, mid-pregnancy, and late pregnancy to adjust the budget before problems appear. - Recheck the budget monthly and whenever hay quality, animal numbers, or weather change the assumptions. ## Why Feed Budgeting Matters Sheep are ruminants designed to eat forage, but forage supply is not constant across the year. In most of North America, pasture grows in a defined season and stops or slows dramatically in winter. The gap between forage supply and animal demand is the core problem a feed budget solves. Without a written budget, producers tend to buy hay reactively. They run out in February, pay premium prices for whatever is available, and often buy hay that is lower quality than what they would have chosen with planning time. They may also overfeed early in the winter because they are not sure of hay quality, wasting money on feed the sheep do not need. Or they underfeed, allowing ewes to lose condition going into lambing, which leads to pregnancy toxemia, weak lambs, and poor milk production. A feed budget converts guesswork into a plan. It tells you exactly how many tons of hay or baleage you need to have on hand before winter starts. It tells you when to start feeding and how much to offer each day. It tells you whether your pasture will carry your flock through the summer or whether you need to buy additional feed. It also gives you a framework for deciding whether to sell lambs early, cull open ewes, or buy extra hay when the numbers do not work. The economic case is straightforward. Hay commonly costs $150 to $300 per ton depending on region and quality. A flock of 100 mature ewes might need 70 to 80 tons of stored forage for a typical winter. That is $10,500 to $24,000 per year just for stored feed. A 10 percent reduction in waste or overfeeding saves $1,000 to $2,400. A well-planned budget that captures those savings pays for itself many times over. There is also an animal welfare dimension. Ewes that are underfed in late pregnancy are at high risk for pregnancy toxemia, a metabolic emergency that often kills the ewe and her lambs. Thin ewes produce less colostrum and milk, and their lambs have lower survival rates. A feed budget is a preventive health tool as much as a financial tool. ## Understanding Sheep Nutritional Requirements Before you can calculate how much feed your flock needs, you need to understand the basic nutritional demands of different classes of sheep. Dry matter intake varies with body weight, stage of production, environmental conditions, and forage quality. ### Dry Matter Intake Basics Dry matter intake is the weight of feed after all water is removed. Hay at 90 percent dry matter means that 1,000 pounds of as-fed hay contains 900 pounds of dry matter. All nutritional calculations should be done on a dry matter basis for accuracy. Mature ewes typically consume 3.5 to 4.5 percent of their body weight in dry matter per day, depending on stage of production. A 150 pound ewe at maintenance eats about 4.5 pounds of dry matter daily. In late pregnancy with twins, that same ewe might eat 5 to 6 pounds of dry matter daily if the diet is high enough quality. During early lactation, intake peaks at 5 to 7 pounds per day for a ewe nursing twins. Growing lambs eat 3 to 4 percent of their body weight daily. A 60 pound feeder lamb consumes about 2 to 2.5 pounds of dry matter per day. A 100 pound lamb eats 3.5 to 4 pounds daily. The table below shows typical daily dry matter intake for common sheep classes. Use these as starting points and adjust based on your own animals and conditions. | Sheep Class | Body Weight (lbs) | Dry Matter Intake (lbs/day) | |---|---|---| | Ewe, maintenance | 150 | 4.5 to 5.0 | | Ewe, early pregnancy | 150 | 4.5 to 5.0 | | Ewe, late pregnancy (singles) | 165 | 5.0 to 5.5 | | Ewe, late pregnancy (twins) | 175 | 5.5 to 6.0 | | Ewe, early lactation (singles) | 155 | 5.5 to 6.0 | | Ewe, early lactation (twins) | 160 | 6.0 to 7.0 | | Ram, breeding season | 200 | 6.0 to 7.0 | | Lamb, 60 lbs | 60 | 2.0 to 2.5 | | Lamb, 100 lbs | 100 | 3.5 to 4.0 | | Yearling ewe | 110 | 3.5 to 4.0 | These numbers are dry matter. If you are feeding hay at 90 percent dry matter, divide the dry matter number by 0.90 to get as-fed pounds. A ewe needing 5 pounds of dry matter needs about 5.5 pounds of as-fed hay. ### Energy and Protein Requirements Intake matters, but so does the quality of what the sheep eat. Sheep need energy, protein, minerals, and vitamins in specific amounts that change across the production cycle. Energy is usually the first limiting nutrient in sheep diets. It is measured as total digestible nutrients (TDN) or net energy. A mature ewe at maintenance needs a diet with about 55 to 60 percent TDN. In late pregnancy with twins, the requirement jumps to 65 to 70 percent TDN. Early lactation requires 65 to 70 percent TDN as well. Protein requirements follow a similar pattern. Maintenance diets need 8 to 10 percent crude protein. Late pregnancy needs 11 to 14 percent, and early lactation needs 12 to 15 percent. Growing lambs need 14 to 18 percent crude protein depending on size and growth rate. Hay quality determines whether these needs are met. Good grass hay might test at 8 to 10 percent crude protein and 55 to 60 percent TDN. Excellent mixed legume hay can test at 14 to 18 percent protein and 60 to 65 percent TDN. Poor, mature, or rain-damaged hay might test below 6 percent protein and below 50 percent TDN. The practical implication is that you cannot budget only by pounds of hay. You must know the quality of that hay. Feeding poor quality hay to ewes in late pregnancy will not meet their energy needs even if you feed enough pounds. The ewes will lose condition, and pregnancy toxemia becomes a real risk. ### Adjustments for Weather and Environment Cold weather increases energy requirements because sheep burn calories to stay warm. The critical temperature for a ewe with a dry, full fleece is about 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Below that, each 10 degree drop in temperature increases energy needs by 10 to 20 percent. Wind, rain, and wet fleeces make the situation worse because they strip away the insulating value of the wool. For budgeting purposes, plan for typical winter conditions in your area and keep extra hay on hand for cold snaps. A 15 to 20 percent buffer on top of calculated needs covers most weather variation. If you are in a region with severe winters, the buffer should be at the higher end. ## Estimating Your Flock's Forage Demand The first step in building a feed budget is calculating the total dry matter your flock needs over the planning period. This is a straightforward multiplication problem once you know your animal numbers, their weights, and their stage of production. ### Step 1: Inventory Your Flock Write down every animal on the farm. Group them by class and count them. Include mature ewes, ewe lambs kept as replacements, rams, and lambs that will be on the farm for any part of the year. If you sell feeder lambs at weaning, you only need to budget for them from birth to sale date. If you keep lambs through the winter, they are part of the winter feed budget. Be honest about numbers. It is easy to forget the few extra ewes you kept because they were good mothers or the ram lambs you decided to grow out. Every mouth counts. ### Step 2: Estimate Body Weights Body weight is the single biggest factor in feed intake. Weigh a sample of animals if you have a scale. If not, use body condition scoring and breed standards to estimate. A typical mature commercial ewe weighs 140 to 180 pounds depending on breed and condition. Hair sheep and smaller breeds might weigh 100 to 130 pounds. Rams are usually 200 to 250 pounds. If you cannot weigh animals, pick a conservative estimate. It is better to overestimate weight slightly than to underestimate and underfeed. ### Step 3: Calculate Daily Dry Matter Needs For each class of sheep, multiply the average body weight by the appropriate intake percentage. Use 4 percent of body weight for mature ewes in most stages, 3.5 percent for maintenance, and adjust upward for late pregnancy and lactation. Here is a worked example for a flock of 100 mature ewes averaging 150 pounds: - 150 pounds x 4 percent = 6 pounds dry matter per ewe per day. This is a conservative planning number that covers most of the year. - 100 ewes x 6 pounds = 600 pounds dry matter per day for the flock. - Over a 30 day month, the flock needs 18,000 pounds of dry matter, or 9 tons. For a full year, 100 ewes at 6 pounds per day need 219,000 pounds of dry matter, or about 109.5 tons. That is the theoretical annual demand. In practice, you will not feed all of that from stored forage because pasture supplies part of the diet during the grazing season. ### Step 4: Account for the Production Cycle The simple 4 percent calculation works well as an annual planning number, but your actual feeding changes across the year. Ewes eat less in early pregnancy and more in late pregnancy and lactation. If you are budgeting month by month, use stage-specific intake numbers. For a spring lambing flock, the pattern looks like this: - Summer and early fall (dry period, early pregnancy): 4 to 4.5 pounds dry matter per ewe daily. - Late fall (mid-pregnancy): 4.5 to 5 pounds dry matter daily. - Winter (late pregnancy): 5 to 5.5 pounds dry matter daily for ewes with singles, 5.5 to 6 pounds for ewes with twins. - Early spring (lactation): 6 to 7 pounds dry matter daily for ewes nursing twins. If you are making a single annual calculation, use the average across the year. If you are making a monthly budget, use the stage-specific numbers. ### Step 5: Include Lambs and Other Animals Lambs add to demand from birth until sale. A lamb at 60 pounds eating 2.5 pounds of dry matter per day adds 75 pounds per month. A group of 150 lambs on the farm for 4 months adds 45,000 pounds of dry matter, or 22.5 tons. Rams are often forgotten in feed budgets. A 220 pound ram eating 7 pounds of dry matter per day uses 210 pounds per month. If you keep 4 rams year-round, that is 840 pounds per month and over 10,000 pounds per year. ### Worked Example: Annual Demand for a 100 Ewe Flock Assume a spring lambing operation with 100 mature ewes averaging 150 pounds, 4 rams averaging 220 pounds, and 150 lambs kept from birth in March until sale in July at an average weight of 80 pounds. Ewes: 100 ewes x 6 pounds per day x 365 days = 219,000 pounds dry matter. Rams: 4 rams x 7 pounds per day x 365 days = 10,220 pounds dry matter. Lambs: 150 lambs x 3 pounds per day x 120 days = 54,000 pounds dry matter. Total annual dry matter demand = 283,220 pounds, or about 141.6 tons. That is the total feed demand. The next question is how much of that comes from pasture and how much must come from stored feed. ## Measuring Your Forage Supply Once you know demand, you need to know supply. Forage supply comes from two sources: pasture and stored feed. You need to quantify both. ### Estimating Pasture Availability Pasture production varies enormously by region, soil type, rainfall, and management. A good pasture in the Midwest might produce 3 to 5 tons of dry matter per acre per year. A dryland pasture in the West might produce 500 to 1,500 pounds per acre. Irrigated pasture can produce 6 to 8 tons per acre. The practical approach is to determine how many grazing days your pasture provides. One animal unit month (AUM) is the amount of forage a 1,000 pound cow and calf pair eats in one month, roughly 780 pounds of dry matter. Sheep are smaller, so a 150 pound ewe with lambs eats about one-fifth of that, or roughly 156 pounds of dry matter per month. A simpler method for sheep producers is to calculate pasture demand directly. If you know your pasture produces 2 tons of dry matter per acre and you have 50 acres, that is 100,000 pounds of dry matter available for the grazing season. Divide that by your daily flock demand to get the number of grazing days. Using the 100 ewe example: 100 ewes at 6 pounds per day need 600 pounds per day. If pasture provides 100,000 pounds of dry matter, that is about 167 grazing days. If your growing season is 150 days, pasture covers the full grazing season with a small surplus. If your growing season is 200 days, you have a 33 day shortfall that must come from stored feed or additional pasture. Pasture quality also matters. Spring pasture is high in protein and energy. Summer pasture is lower quality, and fall pasture can be quite poor. Sheep on poor quality pasture may need supplemental feed even when forage is available. This is common in late summer when grasses have matured and gone to seed. ### Estimating Stored Feed Inventory Stored feed includes hay, baleage, haylage, silage, and crop residues. For budgeting purposes, express everything in dry matter. Hay is typically 85 to 92 percent dry matter. Baleage is 40 to 60 percent dry matter. Corn silage is 30 to 40 percent dry matter. Straw is 90 to 92 percent dry matter. To calculate your stored feed inventory, weigh or estimate each bale and count the bales. Small square bales might weigh 40 to 60 pounds. Large round bales weigh 800 to 1,500 pounds depending on size and density. Large square bales weigh 1,200 to 2,000 pounds. If you do not know bale weights, estimate conservatively. A 5 foot by 5 foot round bale of grass hay typically weighs 900 to 1,100 pounds. A 5 foot by 6 foot bale weighs 1,200 to 1,500 pounds. Dense hay weighs more than fluffy hay. Alfalfa hay weighs more than grass hay at the same bale size. Multiply bale count by bale weight to get total as-fed pounds. Then multiply by dry matter percentage to get dry matter pounds. Example: 500 small square bales at 50 pounds each = 25,000 as-fed pounds. At 90 percent dry matter, that is 22,500 pounds of dry matter. ### Hay Quality Testing Weight alone is not enough. You need to know the nutritional value of your hay. Hay testing is inexpensive, typically $20 to $40 per sample, and the information is essential for making a feed budget that actually meets animal needs. Take a representative sample from each cutting or field. Use a hay probe to sample 10 to 20 bales per lot. Send the sample to a forage testing laboratory and request crude protein, TDN or relative feed value, and dry matter. Some labs also test for minerals, nitrates, and mold. The test results tell you how much hay to feed and whether you need to supplement. If your hay tests at 8 percent crude protein and 55 percent TDN, it will maintain dry ewes but will not support late pregnancy or lactation without supplementation. If it tests at 14 percent protein and 62 percent TDN, it will support most production stages. Hay quality also affects intake. Sheep eat more of high quality hay because it digests faster and passes through the rumen more quickly. Poor quality hay sits in the rumen longer, and intake drops. A ewe might eat 5 pounds of good hay but only 3.5 pounds of poor hay because she simply cannot eat enough to meet her energy needs. ## Building the Annual Feed Budget With demand and supply quantified, you can build the budget. The process has five steps: set the planning period, calculate monthly demand, calculate pasture contribution, calculate stored feed needs, and add a buffer. ### Step 1: Set the Planning Period The planning period is typically one year, starting when you have your full forage inventory on hand. For most producers, that is at hay harvest time in late spring or early summer. A common budget year runs from June 1 to May 31, which covers one full production cycle. ### Step 2: Calculate Monthly Demand Use the stage-specific intake numbers to calculate demand for each month. This requires knowing when your ewes lamb, when you wean, and when you sell lambs. For a spring lambing flock in the northern United States: | Month | Flock Demand (lbs DM/day) | Days | Monthly Demand (lbs DM) | |---|---|---|---| | June | 600 | 30 | 18,000 | | July | 600 | 31 | 18,600 | | August | 550 | 31 | 17,050 | | September | 550 | 30 | 16,500 | | October | 550 | 31 | 17,050 | | November | 550 | 30 | 16,500 | | December | 600 | 31 | 18,600 | | January | 650 | 31 | 20,150 | | February | 650 | 28 | 18,200 | | March | 700 | 31 | 21,700 | | April | 700 | 30 | 21,000 | | May | 650 | 31 | 20,150 | Total annual demand = 223,500 pounds dry matter. This is slightly higher than the simple 6 pounds per day calculation because of the higher demand in late pregnancy and lactation. These numbers assume lambs are born in March and sold in July. Adjust the months and intake levels to match your own production calendar. ### Step 3: Calculate Pasture Contribution Determine how many days per month your flock can graze pasture and how much they will consume. In the northern United States, pasture typically provides most or all of the diet from May through October. In the southern United States, winter pasture may provide grazing from November through April, with summer being the slow season. For each month, estimate the percentage of the diet that comes from pasture. In months with full grazing, pasture provides 100 percent of demand. In shoulder months, it might provide 50 percent. In winter, it provides zero. Multiply monthly demand by the pasture percentage to get pasture contribution. Subtract that from monthly demand to get stored feed needs. Using the example above, assume pasture provides 100 percent of the diet from May through October and zero from November through April. Pasture contribution is: - May: 20,150 pounds - June: 18,000 pounds - July: 18,600 pounds - August: 17,050 pounds - September: 16,500 pounds - October: 17,050 pounds Total pasture contribution = 107,350 pounds dry matter. Stored feed demand = 223,500 minus 107,350 = 116,150 pounds dry matter. ### Step 4: Add Waste and Buffer No feeding system is 100 percent efficient. Hay stored outside loses dry matter to weather. Sheep waste hay by trampling, soiling, and refusing stems. Baleage loses dry matter at the face. A 10 to 20 percent waste factor is realistic for most operations. Add 15 percent to the stored feed demand to cover waste and weather. In the example, 116,150 pounds x 1.15 = 133,573 pounds dry matter. Convert to as-fed hay at 90 percent dry matter: 133,573 divided by 0.90 = 148,414 pounds, or about 74 tons of hay. That is the amount of hay you need on hand before winter starts for a 100 ewe flock with a 6 month winter. ### Step 5: Compare to Inventory and Adjust Compare the budget to your actual hay inventory. If you have more hay than needed, you can feed more generously, sell the surplus, or stockpile pasture for fall grazing. If you have less, you need to buy hay, reduce flock numbers, or find alternative feed sources. The adjustment options are: - Buy additional hay now while prices are reasonable. - Sell cull ewes, open ewes, and low performers before winter. - Wean lambs earlier to reduce demand. - Graze crop residues such as corn stalks or small grain stubble. - Feed alternative forages such as beet pulp, soybean hulls, or cottonseed hulls. - Improve hay feeding efficiency with bale rings, feeders, or unrolling on well-drained ground. The key is to make these decisions before winter starts, not when the hay pile is nearly gone. ## Pasture Management for Extended Grazing A good pasture program reduces stored feed needs and lowers the feed budget. The goal is to maximize the number of grazing days while maintaining pasture health. ### Rotational Grazing Rotational grazing involves moving sheep through smaller paddocks on a schedule that allows forage to recover between grazings. This increases pasture productivity by 20 to 50 percent compared to continuous grazing and improves forage quality because sheep are forced to eat more uniformly. A simple system uses 4 to 8 paddocks with grazing periods of 3 to 7 days and recovery periods of 21 to 45 days depending on growth rate. Move sheep when they have grazed the paddock down to 3 to 4 inches. Do not let them graze below 2 inches, as this damages the growing point and slows recovery. ### Stockpiling Forage Stockpiling means letting pasture grow in late summer and fall without grazing, then using it in late fall and early winter. Tall fescue and other cool-season grasses stockpile well in many regions. The standing forage cures in place and provides grazing for 30 to 90 days after growth stops. To stockpile, remove livestock from a pasture in August or September, apply nitrogen if needed, and let the grass grow. Graze it starting in November or December. This can reduce stored feed needs by 20 to 30 percent in suitable climates. ### Annual Forages for Fall and Winter Grazing Planting annual forages extends the grazing season. Oats, rye, triticale, and turnips can be planted in late summer for fall and winter grazing. These forages are high quality and provide grazing when perennial pastures are dormant. Cereal rye is particularly useful because it grows in cool weather and can be grazed in late fall and early spring. A well-managed rye pasture can provide grazing from November through April in many regions, dramatically reducing hay needs. ### Sacrifice Areas and Confinement Feeding When pastures are wet or dormant, move sheep to a sacrifice area or dry lot to prevent pasture damage. Grazing on wet soil compacts the ground and destroys the sod. A sacrifice area should be well-drained, and you should expect it to become bare and muddy. Feed hay in this area using bale rings or feeders to reduce waste. The sacrifice area also concentrates manure, which can be composted and spread back on pastures. This is a good nutrient cycling strategy if the area is managed properly. ## Feeding Stored Forage Efficiently How you feed hay has a major impact on waste and therefore on your feed budget. Waste rates vary dramatically by feeding method. ### Hay Feeding Methods Feeding hay on the ground without any restriction results in 30 to 50 percent waste. Sheep trample hay into the mud, soil it with manure, and refuse to eat the contaminated portions. This is the most expensive way to feed hay. Bale rings or hay feeders reduce waste to 10 to 20 percent. The feeder keeps hay off the ground and prevents trampling. Sheep can still pull hay out and drop it, but waste is much lower than ground feeding. Unrolling hay on clean, well-drained ground results in about 10 to 15 percent waste. The hay stays cleaner than in a feeder, but sheep can still soil the edges. The best method depends on your situation. Bale rings work well for most operations. Unrolling works well on dry ground or snow. Ground feeding should be avoided except in emergencies. ### Feeding Frequency Feeding hay daily is standard, but feeding every other day or twice weekly can work if you use large bales and feeders that hold several days of supply. The risk is that sheep will waste more hay when they have excess access. Monitor waste and adjust feeding frequency based on what you observe. ### Managing Hay Storage Hay stored outside loses dry matter to weather. A round bale sitting on the ground in a wet climate can lose 20 to 30 percent of its dry matter over a winter. Storing bales on crushed rock or pallets and covering them with tarps reduces losses to 5 to 10 percent. Storing hay in a barn is best but not always possible. The feed budget should account for storage losses. If you know your hay loses 15 percent in storage, add that to the amount you need to harvest or purchase. ## Monitoring and Adjusting the Budget A feed budget is not a one-time calculation. It is a living document that needs regular review and adjustment. Set specific checkpoints through the year and adjust the plan as conditions change. ### Body Condition Scoring Body condition scoring is the single most useful monitoring tool for sheep producers. It is a hands-on assessment of the fat and muscle cover over the spine and loin. Scores range from 1 (emaciated) to 5 (obese), with 3 being ideal. Score your ewes at four key times: - At weaning: This tells you how well ewes maintained condition through lactation. - At breeding: Ewes should be at 3 to 3.5. Thin ewes are less likely to conceive and may have lower ovulation rates. - At mid-pregnancy (100 days): Adjust feeding if ewes are losing condition. - At late pregnancy (140 days): Ewes should be at 3 to 3.5. Thin ewes are at risk for pregnancy toxemia. If ewes are losing condition, increase feed. If they are gaining too much, reduce feed. The feed budget should be flexible enough to respond to body condition changes. ### Monthly Feed Inventory Checks Count your hay bales monthly during the feeding season. Compare actual usage to budgeted usage. If you are using hay faster than planned, you need to either reduce feeding, find alternative feed, or buy more hay. A simple tracking sheet lists the number of bales on hand at the start of the month, bales fed during the month, and bales remaining. This gives you an early warning if the budget is off track. ### Adjusting for Weather Cold weather increases energy needs. If a cold snap hits, increase feeding by 10 to 20 percent until conditions moderate. The buffer built into the budget should cover these adjustments. If the winter is much colder or longer than normal, the buffer may be used up early, and you will need to buy additional hay. ### Adjusting for Hay Quality If your hay tests lower than expected, sheep will need more pounds to meet their energy needs. A hay testing at 8 percent protein and 50 percent TDN might require 20 to 30 percent more pounds than a hay testing at 14 percent protein and 60 percent TDN. Adjust the feeding rate accordingly. The alternative is to supplement with a higher energy feed such as corn, barley, or soybean hulls. This is often more cost-effective than feeding more poor quality hay. ## Common Mistakes in Feed Budgeting Several recurring mistakes undermine feed budgets. Knowing them helps you avoid the same errors. ### Mistake 1: Guessing Hay Weights Producers often underestimate or overestimate bale weights by 20 to 30 percent. A bale that looks like 1,000 pounds might actually weigh 800 or 1,200 pounds. Weigh a few bales on a truck scale or use published weight estimates for your bale size and hay type. The difference matters over a winter. ### Mistake 2: Ignoring Hay Quality Feeding untested hay is the most common and most expensive mistake in sheep feeding. Without a hay test, you are guessing whether the hay meets animal needs. Poor quality hay can cause weight loss, poor lamb growth, and metabolic disease even when sheep are eating all they want. ### Mistake 3: Forgetting the Buffer Calculating exact feed needs and buying exactly that amount leaves no margin for error. Weather, hay quality variation, and animal weight differences all create uncertainty. A 15 to 20 percent buffer is essential. ### Mistake 4: Not Accounting for Waste Ground feeding can waste 30 to 50 percent of hay. Even with feeders, waste is 10 to 20 percent. If the budget does not include waste, the flock will run out of hay weeks before spring. ### Mistake 5: Ignoring the Lambs Lambs are often the forgotten mouths in a feed budget. A group of 150 lambs can consume 20 to 30 tons of dry matter over a 4 month period. That is a significant portion of the feed supply. ### Mistake 6: Feeding All Sheep the Same Ewes with twins need more feed than ewes with singles. Thin ewes need more than fat ewes. Young ewes still growing need more than mature ewes. Sorting ewes by body condition and litter size allows you to feed each group appropriately and reduces waste. ### Mistake 7: Waiting Too Long to Buy Hay Buying hay in January when supplies are tight and prices are high is the most expensive way to purchase feed. Buy hay in the summer or fall when supplies are plentiful and prices are lower. Store it properly to minimize losses. ### Mistake 8: Not Adjusting the Budget Mid-Season A feed budget is a plan, not a contract. When conditions change, the budget must change. Check hay inventory monthly, score body condition regularly, and adjust feeding rates as needed. ## Decision Thresholds and When to Act Knowing when to act is as important as knowing how to calculate. These thresholds signal that you need to change the plan. ### Hay Inventory Below 30 Percent by Mid-Winter If you are past the halfway point of the feeding season and have less than 30 percent of your hay remaining, you are using hay too fast. Reduce feeding waste, consider supplementing with grain to stretch hay, or buy additional hay now before supplies tighten further. ### Average Body Condition Score Below 2.5 at Mid-Pregnancy Ewes that are too thin at mid-pregnancy need immediate attention. Increase feeding by 20 to 30 percent and recheck condition in 2 to 3 weeks. If condition continues to drop, have your veterinarian or extension agent evaluate the feeding program and check for underlying health problems. ### Ewes Losing Condition in Late Pregnancy Late pregnancy is the highest risk period. Ewes that are losing condition in the last 6 weeks before lambing are at risk for pregnancy toxemia. Increase energy intake immediately. This may mean adding grain or other high energy feeds to the ration. Consult your veterinarian if ewes are off feed, lethargic, or showing signs of metabolic disease. ### Hay Quality Below 8 Percent Protein Hay testing below 8 percent crude protein will not support late pregnancy or lactation. Supplement with a protein source such as soybean meal, or replace the hay with higher quality feed. Do not feed very poor quality hay to ewes in late pregnancy. ### Pasture Growth Slowing Earlier Than Expected Drought or early frost can end the grazing season early. If pasture growth stops in August instead of October, you have a 2 month gap in your forage supply. Start feeding stored forage earlier and adjust the budget to stretch supplies through the winter. ## Recordkeeping for Feed Budgeting Good records make feed budgeting easier and more accurate over time. Keep these records for each budget year. ### Flock Records Record the number of animals in each class, average body weights, and body condition scores at each scoring time. Track lambing dates, weaning dates, and sale dates. This information tells you how many mouths you are feeding and when demand peaks. ### Feed Inventory Records Record the number of bales harvested or purchased, bale weights, hay test results, and storage location. Track monthly hay usage and remaining inventory. This tells you whether your waste estimates are accurate and whether the budget is on track. ### Feeding Records Record what you feed each day or week, how much, and to which groups. Note any changes in feeding rate and the reason for the change. This helps you identify what works and what does not. ### Cost Records Record the cost of hay, supplements, pasture maintenance, and labor. Calculate your cost per ewe per year and per pound of lamb produced. This tells you whether your feeding program is economical and where you can improve. ### Weather Records Record monthly temperatures, precipitation, and snow cover. This helps you understand how weather affects feed demand and allows you to plan for typical conditions in your area. ## Special Situations and Adjustments ### Drought Years Drought reduces pasture production and may force early feeding of stored forage. In a drought year, the feed budget needs adjustment. Options include selling cull animals early, [weaning lambs](/knowledge/animal-farming/sheep/weaning-lambs-timing-facilities-and-stress-reduction) earlier, and buying hay before prices spike. Consider planting drought-tolerant annual forages for late summer grazing. ### High Grain Prices When grain prices are high, feeding more hay and less grain may be economical. When hay prices are high, the opposite may be true. Compare the cost of energy from different sources. A ton of corn at $200 provides about 7,000 megacalories of energy. A ton of good hay at $250 provides about 5,000 megacalories. Calculate the cost per megacalorie to compare feeds. ### Expanding the Flock If you are adding ewes, the feed budget must expand accordingly. Each additional mature ewe adds about 1,400 to 1,600 pounds of stored forage dry matter per year in a typical winter feeding situation. Account for expansion before you buy the ewes. ### Organic or Grass-Fed Production Organic and grass-fed systems have additional constraints. Organic production requires certified organic feed. Grass-fed systems require that all forage come from pasture or stored forage, with no grain supplementation. These systems need more pasture per animal and more stored forage for winter. Plan accordingly. ## Working with Your Veterinarian and Extension Agent Your veterinarian and local extension agent are valuable resources for feed budgeting, especially when problems arise. ### When to Call the Veterinarian Call your veterinarian immediately if you see signs of pregnancy toxemia, which include ewes that are off feed, lethargic, weak, or recumbent in late pregnancy. This is a metabolic emergency that requires prompt treatment. Also call if multiple ewes are losing condition despite adequate feed, if lambs are weak or dying, or if you suspect mineral deficiencies or toxic plants in the feed. Your veterinarian can also help with: - Diagnosing causes of poor performance - Developing treatment protocols for metabolic disease - Evaluating the nutritional adequacy of your feeding program - Investigating feed-related health problems - Advising on vaccination and parasite control programs that affect flock health and performance ### When to Call the Extension Agent Your extension agent can help with: - Interpreting hay test results - Calculating rations for different classes of sheep - Developing pasture management plans - Evaluating forage species for your region - Estimating pasture production and carrying capacity - Connecting you with local feed suppliers and forage testing labs - Providing regional weather and drought information Extension agents also conduct workshops and field days on [sheep nutrition](/knowledge/animal-farming/sheep/sheep-nutrition-feeding-for-health-and-productivity) and forage management. These are excellent opportunities to learn from specialists and network with other producers. ### Building a Support Team A successful sheep operation uses a team of advisers. Your veterinarian, extension agent, feed supplier, and fellow producers all have knowledge that can improve your feed budgeting. Ask questions, share your records, and learn from their experience. The small cost of a hay test or a consultation is nothing compared to the cost of a feeding mistake. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How much hay does one sheep need for winter? A mature 150 pound ewe needs about 4.5 to 6 pounds of dry matter per day from stored feed when pasture is not available. Over a typical 5 to 6 month winter feeding period, that is roughly 675 to 1,100 pounds of dry matter, or about 750 to 1,200 pounds of as-fed hay at 90 percent dry matter. A 100 ewe flock needs roughly 37 to 60 tons of hay for the winter depending on ewe size, stage of production, and hay quality. Add 15 to 20 percent for waste and weather. ### How do I calculate dry matter intake for my sheep? Multiply the average body weight of the sheep by the appropriate intake percentage. Mature ewes eat about 3.5 to 4.5 percent of body weight in dry matter daily. A 150 pound ewe eats about 5.25 to 6.75 pounds of dry matter per day. Growing lambs eat 3 to 4 percent of body weight. Adjust upward for cold weather, late pregnancy, and lactation. Adjust downward for maintenance and early pregnancy. ### What is the difference between dry matter and as-fed? Dry matter is the weight of feed after all water is removed. As-fed is the weight of feed as it comes from the bale, bag, or bin. Hay is typically 85 to 92 percent dry matter, meaning it contains 8 to 15 percent water. To convert dry matter to as-fed, divide the dry matter weight by the dry matter percentage. For example, 5 pounds of dry matter divided by 0.90 equals 5.56 pounds of as-fed hay. ### How do I know if my hay is good enough for pregnant ewes? The only reliable way to know hay quality is to test it. Take a core sample from 10 to 20 bales and send it to a forage testing laboratory. Look for crude protein of at least 8 to 10 percent for dry ewes and 11 to 14 percent for ewes in late pregnancy. TDN should be at least 55 to 60 percent for dry ewes and 60 to 70 percent for late pregnancy. If your hay tests below these levels, you will need to supplement with grain, protein meal, or higher quality forage. ### How much pasture do I need per sheep? Pasture needs vary by region and forage quality. A general rule is 2 to 4 acres of good pasture per ewe with lambs for a full grazing season in humid regions. In arid regions, you may need 5 to 10 acres or more per ewe. Irrigated pasture can support 4 to 8 ewes per acre. The best approach is to calculate your pasture production and divide by your flock demand to determine how many grazing days you have. ### Can I feed straw to sheep? Straw is very low in protein and energy, typically 3 to 5 percent protein and 40 to 45 percent TDN. It is not adequate as the sole feed for any class of sheep. It can be used as a filler or bedding, and it can be fed to dry ewes in early pregnancy if they are also receiving supplemental protein and energy. Do not feed straw to ewes in late pregnancy or lactation, or to growing lambs. ### Should I feed grain to my sheep? Grain is not required for sheep, but it is useful for meeting energy needs in late pregnancy, lactation, and for growing lambs. Corn, barley, and oats are common energy feeds. Soybean meal and other protein meals are used to balance protein. Grain feeding should be introduced gradually over 1 to 2 weeks to prevent digestive upset. The amount depends on hay quality and animal needs. Start with 0.5 to 1 pound per ewe per day in late pregnancy and adjust based on body condition and lamb growth. ### How do I know if I am overfeeding or underfeeding? Body condition scoring is the best tool. Score your ewes at weaning, breeding, mid-pregnancy, and late pregnancy. The ideal score is 3 to 3.5 on a 1 to 5 scale. If ewes are gaining too much condition, reduce feed. If they are losing condition, increase feed. You should also monitor hay usage against your budget. If you are using more hay than planned, you are either overfeeding, wasting hay, or your hay quality is lower than expected. ## Related Farming Guides This section will be populated with links to related guides on sheep production, forage management, and livestock nutrition. Check back for updates or use the site search to find additional resources on flock health, pasture management, and lamb production. ## Related Clinical & Scientific Guides * [Sheep Grazing Lease: Terms, Rates, and Legal Considerations](/knowledge/animal-farming/sheep/sheep-grazing-lease-terms-rates-and-legal-considerations) * [Sheep Breed Selection for Meat, Wool, Dairy, and Low-Input Systems](/knowledge/animal-farming/sheep/sheep-breed-selection-for-meat-wool-dairy-and-low-input-systems) * [Sheep Barn Flooring for Hoof Health: Best Materials and Practices](/knowledge/animal-farming/sheep/sheep-barn-flooring-hoof-health-materials-practices) ## References - American Consortium for [Small Ruminant Parasite Control](/knowledge/veterinary-medicine/food-animal-medicine/small-ruminant-parasite-control-diagnostic-strategies-anthelmintic-stewardship) (ACSRPC): https://www.wormx.info/ - USDA APHIS Sheep Health: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/sheep-goats - FAO Sheep and Goat Production: https://www.fao.org/animal-production/en/ - FAO Animal Production and Health: https://www.fao.org/animal-production/en/ - WOAH (World Organisation for Animal Health): https://www.woah.org/en/home/ > This article is educational and is not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis, treatment, public-health guidance, or regulatory reporting.