RAISING SHEEP ON TEMPORARY 
PASTURES. 
F. R. Marshall and C. G. Potts, Ammal Husbandry Division. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. 
Crops used for temporary pastures- _ 3 
Advantages of temporary pastures 4 
Prevention of parasites 4 
Improvement of soil 5 
Results of experiments with tempo- 
rary pastures 5 
Amount and value of pasturage. "> 
Carrying capacity and nature of 
various crops 7 
Health of sheep 0 
Size of lots and method.s of 
fencing and grazing 11 
Effect on the land 12 
Page. 
Forage rotations for different sec- 
tions 1 14 
Rotations with permanent pastures, 
stubble fields, and temporary pas- 
tures 14 
Specialized sheep farming 15 
Most suitable soils 15 
Protection from dogs 16 
Distribution of labor 16 
Summary 17 
CROPS USED FOR TEMPORARY PASTURES. 
ANY ANNUAL CROPS that are sown for the purpose of being 
pastured off before maturity are called temporary pastures.^ 
They may be used as the sole pasture crop for all or for a part of the 
grazing season. In the experiments reported in this bulletin the 
experimental flock was grazed all the season without the use of per- 
manent grass pasture. The crops were grazed off m the following 
order : Fall rye, fall wheat, alfalfa, spring-sown oats and peas, rape, 
cowpeas, soy beans, fall barley, and fall wheat. 
In many localities fall wheat or rye is grazed during winter and 
early spring and then allowed to mature a grain crop. The same 
practice is possible with spring-sown cereals, but is less often practi- 
cable with cowpeas and soy beans. The temporary pasture crops 
suitable for sheep are equally valuable for hogs. In case a crop is to 
be used for both kinds of stock the feed should be kept fresh for the 
sheep, either by dividing the field or having the hogs follow the 
sheep. 
Surplus cereal and legume crops from the pastures can be cured 
into first-class winter roughage for sheep. 
Note. — R. B. Millin,. now of the Montana Agricultural College, assisted in the early 
development of the experiments reported in this bulletin. 
1 The occasional pasturing of a permanent crop like alfalfa is also employed in a system 
of temporary pastures. 
3 
