58 CIRCULAR 925, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
of grazing to give sheep a variety of forage but at the same time avoid 
prolonged use of any particular area; (3) bed sheep in a different location 
each night, preferably one that is selected beforehand so that the ani- 
mals can reach it after the day’s grazing; and (4) avoid overuse of dogs, 
since they encourage close herding. 
It may be necessary to corral herds at various times during the 
winter for such purposes as making counts, marking, shearing face wool, 
or segregating sheep. This can be done in portable corrals constructed 
of panels or lath snow fences and steel posts. Such corrals should be 
placed on hard or somewhat gravelly ground to avoid excessive damage 
from trampling... 
Shearing in portable corrals before the sheep leave the winter ranges 
is becoming a common practice. One or two flocks are shorn at a corral 
location, usually near water. The sheep are removed from the shearing 
area immediately after they are shorn and placed on ranges where forage 
is available. The corral is then moved to a new location for the next 
herd. Adjacent range areas are used for grazing only briefly and there- 
fore are not given as severe use as areas around permanent shearing 
corrals where several flocks are shorn year after year. It may be highly 
desirable to place the shearing corrals in a new location each year to 
prevent injury to the range. 
WATERING 
Adequate watering of sheep is important in keeping them in good 
condition. Studies at the Desert Experimental Range (8) indicate that 
sheep require about 0.7 gallon each per day on winter range. In warm 
weather they may need 1.5 gallons and if forage is dry or composed 
mostly of shadscale or Gardner saltbush as much as 2 gallons per day. 
Sheep should receive a supply of fresh water every day. During the 
middle part of most winters they can obtain the necessary water from 
snow, provided it is uniform and not too deep. Relying entirely on 
snow for water throughout most winters, however, places undue hard- 
ships on the sheep and on the range. Even in the middle winter there 
may be too little snow, or snows may be crusted and hard to utilize for 
water. In early and late winter when snow is scarce, animals must be 
trailed back and forth from grazing areas to higher elevations for snow 
or to reservoirs where water is available. 
A much better practice is to truck the water to the sheep, preferably 
every day when snow is not uniformly and readily available. Water 
may be supplied in portable troughs, which should be placed so that 
sheep movements can be directed across the desired range areas. 
Enough troughs should be provided to avoid crowding. A spacing of 
40 to 50 feet between troughs is recommended. 
SUMMARY 
Winter ranges in the Intermountain region furnish forage for ap- 
proximately 4 to 5 million sheep for a period of 4 to 6 months. These 
ranges are extensive, comprising in all about 65 million acres. They 
are characterized by low precipitation and scant vegetation. This 
naturally sparse plant cover has been greatly depleted by grazing over- 
