# Sheep eat cedars?



## BlueHillsFarm (Dec 21, 2007)

I've heard and read some comments about sheep and goats stripping the bark off cedars. Apparently they can tolerate the tannins? If my (hypothetical) flock of sheep are stocked at a reasonable rate and rotated through pastures will they still girdle and kill my cedars? Thaaank you.

Oh btw I want my cedars alive. They provide shade and windbreak for the cattle. And I am on rental land.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

I find sheep won't strip bark if you offer free choice loose sheep minerals. And plenty of good grass to eat. At least that is how it worked for me.

You would want to get sheep breeds that are more interested in grazing... 
Some breeds of sheep are more like goats... Soay, Jacobs, my Katahdins..etc... will eat nearly anything.


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## dlskidmore (Apr 18, 2012)

I would not guarantee one way or another. Goats more likely to browse, sheep more likely to prefer grass/hay. Nothing certain.


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## Buckhuntr (Oct 4, 2012)

Last summer I cut cedar branches for the goats. The sheep were chowing down on the needles right along with them. Katahdin/Dorper and Churro.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

goats are Much more likely to strip ceders, even more so in winter when supposedly they taste better when the sap changes or something, but I have seen my friends Black belly hair sheep strip ceder branches in winter when they were cut and thrown over the fence for the goats, but they also left the live ceders alone in the pasture, so idk,


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## Mouflon (Jul 13, 2012)

I have had Blackbellies, Corsicans and Mouflon for 17 years and I have never seen evidence of them touching a live cedar's bark. At intermittent times they do eat the green off the limbs (leaves?). I assume this is instinctive behavior to maybe control parasites as I never worm my sheep. 

It could be a learned activity as some livestock can be taught to eat certain weeds they are not familiar with.


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## 95bravo (Mar 22, 2010)

My sheep have a hatred for cedar trees. My last ram would polish on a 12 inch tree for hours and hours. It looked like polished stone. May be the mineral content of the soil makes a change. 
I think buck deer in my area also have a preference to ring cedar trees.


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## gimpy (Sep 18, 2007)

Depends on the breed. Browsers (generally but not always the hair sheep and primitive breeds) will eat cedars and tend to tolerate it. Grazers tend not to. You can also have a given breed where some individuals will or won't go after them.

I've been using a mix of shelled corn from the mill and cedar trees that risk interfering with power and water lines for winter feeding and they seem to be doing well. When I used to be able to get hay I used that but I haven't been able to get hay for a few years. People would lie and say they'd bring it out and never show or bring out rotted 4-5 year old stuff stored in the rain.


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