Understanding Stocking Rates: A Foundation of Healthy Flocks

Stocking rate—how many animals your land can support—is a critical component of good grazing management. It’s the number of livestock allowed to graze over a specific period on a given area, typically expressed using Animal Unit Equivalents (AUE) or Animal Unit Months (AUM)  .

To break it down:

• Animal Unit Equivalent (AUE) compares an animal’s forage needs to a baseline: a 1,000‑lb cow. A mature ewe is typically rated around 0.20 AUE  .

• Animal Unit Month (AUM) represents the forage needed by one AUE over a month—roughly 780 to 915 lb of dry forage  .

For sheep production, real-world stocking rates vary widely based on pasture quality. On lush rotationally managed pastures, you might sustain 10 ewes and 15 lambs per acre  . Elsewhere, more conservative systems may only support 2 to 4 ewes per acre  .

Why it matters:

• Overstocking can reduce forage availability, harm soil health, increase parasite burdens, and diminish animal performance.

• Matching stocking rate to your land’s carrying capacity ensures sustainable pasture recovery and healthy, productive animals  .

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Our Grazing Strategy: Thrive with Intentional Management

We take stocking rates seriously.

• Summer Solution: We move part of our flock to a therapy farm, giving our pastures time to rest and regrow.

• Fall Focus: By the end of the season, we ensure our flock size matches the carrying capacity of our land—maintaining balance and promoting long-term resilience.

When your flock outpaces your land, tough decisions—like offering this group—are essential for the well-being of the pasture and the animals.

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A Starter Flock of Proven Producers

This year, that means offering a group of exceptional ewes:

• Their F2 offspring have been standout producers—particularly robust, correct, and worthy of holding onto every ewe lamb.

• • Gotland roots, with the first three ewes descended from lines of triplets.

  • Wensleydale, Teeswater, and Lincoln bases known for producing sturdy frames and structural strength.

    They draw from strong genetic foundations:

• All are polled, VBSS registered, and currently running with high-quality rams.

• Beyond their pedigrees, they’re a cohesive group of “friends”—consistent, steady, and carry themselves with reliability.

While it’s never easy to part with animals you trust, it’s vital to align flock size with pasture capacity. We’re confident these proven producers will be an excellent foundation for another breeder’s program.

Learn more about this starter flock and see full details here:

👉 Starter Flock of Valais Blacknose Sheep