Increasing forage yields and sheep production on Intermountain winter ranges

Abstract

The 65 million acres of winter range in the Intermountain region supports only a sparse stand of vegetation, yet it furnishes forage for approximately 4 to 5 million sheep each winter for a period of 4 to 6 months, from November to April. Since the early days of the sheep industry in the West, the drier portions of the region have been used for winter grazing. These semiarid ranges are well suited for such use because the forage is composed of grasses and low shrubs that grow during the spring and early summer, then dry and cure on the stem before grazing begins. Light snowfalls, usually only 3 to 5 inches deep, furnish water where permanent watering places are few and scattered. This combination of well-cured herbage and easily available snow for water generally provides favorable grazing conditions.

Citation

Hutchings, Solar S.; Stewart, George. 1953. Increasing forage yields and sheep production on Intermountain winter ranges. Circular No. 925. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 63 p.