Sheep Management

Sheep form most of the hill farmers' income, and the relationship between the sheep and the grouse is very important. Sheep are helpful for pruning the heather and keeping it clear from snow in the winter (grouse are often found feeding where the sheep have trampled down the snow) and they are also an essential tool in the control of tick. However, sheep need careful shepherding to prevent large numbers from concentrating for too long on any one part of the moor. Where this happens, there will be environmental damage, not least the destruction of the heather sward, and in the worst cases the only path to recovery will be to remove the sheep altogether. Fothering (putting out permanent fixed feeders) on the moor, which will create the sort of concentrations that can cause this damage, is not permitted on well-managed moorland.

Having the correct density of sheep, therefore, grazing evenly over the moor is critical. In the past, agricultural subsidies, which were paid per head of sheep, encouraged high sheep densities, but payments under the new Single Farm Payment and Entry Level and Higher Tier Schemes are on an area basis, with nature conservation conditions attaching - this can only be good for the future of the moors.

It is important, however, to have sufficient sheep to help in the control of tick, a menace that appears to be spreading with global warming. Sheep, treated correctly with chemicals, act as 'tick mops' as they graze the moor, picking up the insects and killing them.

It is also becoming more popular to keep sheep in specially designed sheds over the winter. This reduces damage to the heather as well as making it easier to manage the nutrition of the flock, and ultimately to improve lambing production.

In summary, if the heather moorland environment is to be preserved, moor managers and graziers all share a responsibility for ensuring correct grazing by sheep and their correct treatment to control tick.