What Do Sheep Eat? Everything You Need to Know

There are seven distinct species of wild sheep within the genus Ovis, though the term sheep usually refers to the single domesticated species, Ovis aries. While species are few, there are over 1,000 distinct breeds of domestic sheep worldwide, developed for their wool, meat, and milk. Male sheep are called rams, while female sheep are called ewes. These domesticated animals follow a social hierarchy within their flocks as they graze on a surprisingly varied diet. Continue reading to discover everything you need to know about what sheep eat.

What Foods Do Sheep Eat?

All sheep are herbivores that feed exclusively on plants such as grass, forbs, and legumes. As ruminants with a specialized four-chambered stomach, they are designed to ferment and digest fibrous plant materials

Sheep can survive solely on pasture grass, making them self-sufficient livestock throughout warmer months.

Sheep, like cows, are ruminants with a complex digestive system that breaks down the foods they eat. Their four-compartment stomach allows them to ferment fibrous plant matter. They rapidly consume feed, later regurgitating it (chewing their cud). This process allows them to absorb nutrition from plants that would otherwise have little nutritional value.

Sheep will eat a wide variety of different foods, but they prefer to eat those that they can consume quickly. They are somewhat selective and will actively avoid woody plants, choosing softer ones that are easier to chew and digest.

Sheep require significant nutrition to power their unique four-chambered digestive system. To sustain this, they spend 6-8 hours daily grazing and breaking down fiber for energy.   

What Do Sheep Eat in Winter?

In winter, wild sheep survive on low-nutrient, high-fiber forage, including dry, frozen grasses, sedges, and woody shrubs. They supplement this diet by eating bark, twigs, buds, lichens, and mosses. They may also dig through snow to access frozen, buried vegetation. 

Domesticated sheep tend to eat whatever is available in their pasture, along with supplementary foods provided by farmers. However, in winter, when pasture growth is insufficient, farmers must provide additional, nutrient-rich foods to support their flocks.

In wintertime, domesticated sheep eat:

• Hay
• Grains
• Squash
• Pumpkins
• Sheep feed
• Silage

What Do Lambs Eat?

Baby sheep are known as lambs, and their dietary needs are quite a bit different than those of their parents. Like many other mammals, a lamb’s first food is milk from its mother. Typically, a lamb will feed on milk exclusively for the first week or two. After that, lambs will begin to eat small amounts of grass and grains.

By the time a lamb is 4 to 6 weeks old, it will receive about half of its nutrition from its mother’s milk and the other half from grazing or other sources. In farm settings, lambs are typically fully weaned by 8 to 12 weeks of age.

After weaning, lambs join the ewe herd and graze alongside them for nutrition.

What Predators Eat Sheep?

Sheep are rather docile creatures with few defenses. Rams, both domestic and wild, can use powerful headbutts to deter or kill other animals. However, they are relatively helpless, preferring to run from a fight.

Some of the natural predators that sheep face around the world include:

• Foxes
• Dogs
• Wolves
• Bears
• Pumas
• Eagles
• Bobcats
• Lynxes
• Wild boars
• Humans

As with most animals, younger, smaller, and older sheep are the ones in the greatest danger from predators. Also, sheep that wander from the flock are targeted more often.