Sheep are herbivores and eat mainly plant material. They are ruminants, which means they have one stomach with four compartments. They eat grasses, legumes, forbs, and other pasture plants, and they especially love forbs, which are broad-leaf plants other than grass. They can survive solely on pasture grass, especially ryegrass and timothy, making them self-sufficient livestock throughout the warmer months. Sheep will graze for an average of seven hours per day, mostly in the hours around dawn and in the late afternoon, near sunset. When supplements are fed to pastured sheep, it is best to feed them in the middle of the day so that normal grazing patterns are not disrupted. Different sheep in different geographic areas eat different plants, and tropical forages are usually not as nutritious as those that grow in temperate climates. Grain is an excellent energy source for sheep and is usually fed when sheep need extra energy, such as when they are pregnant, lactating, or growing lambs. However, a healthy, mature sheep who is neither pregnant nor lactating will not typically require supplementation with grains, pellets, or concentrates and will instead rely on fresh and/or dried forages. Here is a summary of what sheep eat:

• Grasses
• Legumes
• Forbs
• Other pasture plants
• Hay or silage when there is no fresh forage
• Grain when they need extra energy

It is important to note that some weeds are poisonous to sheep and should be avoided, such as milkweed, cocklebur, and nightshade.