The Shepherdess

Resources for Beginner Sheep Farmers, Dorper Sheep for Sale in Texas!

management intensive rotational grazing

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Why I Rotational Graze My Sheep in Winter

I wanted to quit rotational grazing my sheep this month.


There is no green grass, we have already made one pass through each paddock since the first frost, and the sheep are becoming more difficult to contain. While we are feeding hay, I assume their constant escape of the electric fencing is an instinctual drive to find more and better food.

Thanks to some encouragement from sister, and farm-partner in crime, I am continuing this rotational-grazing-sheep-thing over winter.

I realize that not everyone lives in a mild winter-climate like Texas, so barn and bedding are essential for many farms… but with average temps at just 40-50 degrees in my parts, I don’t feel like I have any excuse to pull the flock off pasture.

Here is why I am rotational grazing my sheep over winter:

I am rotational grazing my sheep for even manure distribution.


The flock puts off about 150lbs of manure per day. Having this spread across 30 acres instead of in a barn is worth the moves. Plus, I have NO machinery to scoop and redistribute deep bedding, were I to house the flock in a well-maintained barn. By continuing to rotational graze, the sheep are ammending for my lack of machinery and spreading their own manure across the pasture.

I am rotational grazing my sheep for Parasite Management.


The parasites that can plague sheep are dormant, but not absent, during winter. Paddocks still need rest time during winter for UV sanitation and parasite die off. By rotational grazing my sheep over winter, my pasture paddocks continue to receive 30-45 days of rest between grazing.


I am rotational grazing my sheep to avoid soil compaction.


When I wanted to pause rotational grazing over winter, I considered designating a 7-acre pasture to be my “winter pasture”. However, as I watched what happened when I left the flock in one spot during days and days of rain, I realized I’d end up with a mud pit by the end of winter. I know for a lot of climates there is no other option than to leave your animals in what is called a “sacrifice pasture”. For me, however, my winters are mild and I do have the ability to maintain my rotational grazing program.


I am rotational grazing my sheep over winter to maintain personal work habits.


Confession: I feel like consistency is difficult for me to cultivate and maintain. By maintaining my rotational grazing program throughout winter I am staying in the groove and constantly working with the flock. When spring comes and the weekly rotational grazing program shifts back to a daily rotational grazing program, I will have a better chance of adjusting back to that work load.


Do you rotational graze your animals? If so, are you able to maintain your rotational grazing system over winter? Tell me in the comments!

-the Shepherdess

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

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4 Months of Intensive Rotational Grazing Dorper Sheep

CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF ELECTRIC FENCING SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR THIS ROTATIONAL GRAZING SYSTEM!

It has been 4 months since we launched our management-intensive rotational grazing program for our flock of 25 Dorper Sheep. We started intensive rotational grazing our sheep (meaning we move them to a new paddock every 2 days) as a means of parasite management. Intensive rotational grazing also allows our pasture grasses to recover at break-neck speed. Because our Dorper sheep farm is located in East Texas, we are able to rotational graze our sheep on a year-round basis. Our fencing is a combination of 6″ hog panel perimeter fence and electric poly-tape. Even though our intensive rotational grazing system has only been in place for 4 months, we have seen some amazing results!!

We launched our intensive rotational grazing program for our flock of 25 Dorper sheep on August 15th. We launched this system as a final effort towards parasite management. Sheep are highly susceptible to worms, the Barber Pole worm being the worst threat of all. Typically you can control worms with chemical dewormers. Unfortunately, our flock of Dorper sheep had developed a resistance to these conventional dewormers (ivermectin, cydectin, etc). Because these dewormers were no longer 100% effective for our flock, the health of our sheep was failing. In efforts to improve the health of our Dorper sheep, we implemented Intensive rotational grazing in addition to these conventional dewormers.

Our intensive rotational grazing program for our Dorper sheep involves moving them to fresh pasture every 48 hours. To carry out this rotational grazing strategy, we use electric fence; electric poly tape to be specific. We use the electric fencing to create small paddocks that provide the sheep with just enough grass to graze for 48 hours. For 25 sheep, each 48 hour paddock is around 1/10 acre.

Why does rotational grazing help with parasites in sheep? To explain how rotational grazing helps reduce parasites in sheep, I will explain the life cycle of the parasite. Worms (parasites) exit the body of the sheep via their manure and lands on the pasture. Within 3-10 days (depending on climate), the worms hatch out of the manure and climb up the grass stem. If the sheep is left to graze on a pasture more than 3 days, they will graze grass that is covered in the microscopic larvae of the Barber Pole worm. Through intensive rotational grazing we move the sheep to fresh pasture before they can graze the grass that is covered in parasites. We fence off the previous pasture with electric fencing so the sheep cannot back-track and re-graze the previous paddock.

In addition to being amazing for the health of our sheep, Intensive rotational grazing is also amazing for the health of our pastures! By only grazing a paddock for 2 days, then moving the animals off the grass is given a lot of time to rest and recover. This short grazing period and long rest period allows the grasses to recharge their root systems. This creates deep roots and allows the grasses to fully recover before grazing. Pasture fertilization through even manure distribution is another benefit of intensive rotational grazing. Healthy sheep and healthy pastures makes intensive rotational grazing a win-win!

Our Dorper sheep farm is located in East Texas. Because we are farming sheep in Texas, we can leave our sheep on pasture all year round. In East Texas we do not typically experience harsh winter conditions like snow or ice, so we can allow our sheep to graze through the winter. Sheep farming in Texas is really an ideal situation for intensive rotational grazing program.

Electric fencing is an essential element in our intensive rotational grazing program. We have a strong perimeter fence that is made up of 6″ hog panel around the entire 30 acres of our farm. We use electric poly-tape within our 6″ hog panel perimeter fence to create the small 2-day paddocks. When we rotational graze our sheep, we use plastic step in posts and electric poly-tape to create temporary paddocks. Once we are done grazing an paddock, we roll it up move to the next one!

So what are the results after intensive rotational grazing our Dorper sheep for 4 months? AMAZING!!! For one, our Dorper sheep stopped dying of worms. Before implementing the rotational grazing program in August, we had already lost 3 sheep to parasite this summer. The body condition of our flock has also improved. Our sheep have gone bony and hallow, to plump and muscular. One of the neatest things is that since we began rotational grazing we have been able to reduce our use of conventional dewormers from twice a month to once a month. Some of our ewes are actually able to go 60 days without any chemical dewormers.

At this time we are still using chemical dewormers on our farm. It’s important to do this because our animal’s lives depend on it. It is, however, our ultimate goal to breed out a line of of parasite resistant Dorper Sheep that have no need for chemical dewormers. Lord-willing this will be a reality within 7 years!

I hope this information about rotational grazing sheep helps you! Intensive rotational grazing is tremendously beneficial for parasite management. Intensive rotational grazing your sheep will also improve pasture quality. Because we intensive rotational graze our sheep in Texas, we can leave them on pasture yer round. With a relatively small investment in electric fencing you can launch an intensive rotational grazing program of your own!

-The Millennial Shepherdess at Harmony Farms

“Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3