How Much Hay Does a Sheep Need? Daily and Per Winter

Sheep are built to graze, so working out hay is really working out what replaces the grass in winter. The answer scales with the size of the sheep. Agricultural extension services calculate it in three steps, and this guide follows the same method.

Step 1: dry matter, 2–5% of bodyweight a day

Washington State University Extension gives sheep a dry matter intake of 2–5% of bodyweight a day. This site plans with 3%, the figure behind our sheep feed guide. For a 60 kg (132 lb) sheep, that's 1.8 kg (4 lb) of dry matter a day.

Step 2: turn dry matter into hay

The same extension guidance treats hay as about 90% dry matter, so divide by 0.9 to get the weight of hay itself. The 60 kg sheep needs about 2 kg (4.4 lb) of hay a day when hay is its whole forage diet.

Step 3: a winter's supply, plus waste

Multiply by the number of days on hay. Over a six-month winter of 182 days, the length WSU Extension's own worked example uses, that's about 365 kg (800 lb) per sheep. WSU puts hay waste at 10% to 50% depending on how it's fed; with 20% added, plan on roughly 435 kg (960 lb) per sheep. How you feed the hay decides where you land in that range.

What changes the answer

• Size and breed. The figure is a percentage of bodyweight, so a small hill breed needs far less than a large lowland ewe.
• Concentrate feed. Any concentrate replaces part of the daily intake, so less hay is needed.
• Grass. Mild winters with some grazing need less hay; the figures above assume none.
• What's left over. The published range is wide, so adjust if hay is left or cleared fast.

Work out your own numbers

The hay calculator does these steps for your flock size, weights and winter length, and gives a bale count if you enter a bale weight. For drinking water, see the sheep water guide and water calculator.

Source: Washington State University Extension (Dr Susan Kerr), “Calculating Livestock Winter Hay Needs”, via Oregon State University Small Farms: smallfarms.oregonstate.edu. Sources checked: October 2026. General information, not a ration plan from a vet or nutritionist.

Common questions

How much hay does a sheep eat a day?

About 2 kg (4.4 lb) a day for a 60 kg sheep, if hay is its whole forage diet. That comes from a planning intake of 3% of bodyweight in dry matter, divided by 0.9 because hay is about 90% dry matter.

How much hay does a sheep need for winter?

Roughly 365 kg (800 lb) per 60 kg sheep over a six-month, 182-day winter, or about 435 kg (960 lb) with a 20% allowance for waste.

How many bales of hay do I need for my sheep?

Divide the winter total by the weight of one of your bales. Bale weights vary too much by size and supplier to assume a standard one, so weigh a bale or ask your supplier, then use the hay calculator.

Do sheep need hay if they're on grass?

The figures here assume hay is the whole forage diet. Grazing and concentrate feed both replace part of it, so sheep with good grass need less hay than this.