Effects on the environment of a flock of sheep when free ranging or under the guidance of a shepherd

Nowadays, sheep grazing is often proposed as a means to maintain abandoned spaces of the territory. The objectives of feeding animals, optimal management of fodder resources and conservation of the pastoral value of the environment are not always compatible with the free ranging of the animals in fenced paddocks. The purpose of this study was to compare the feeding behaviour of a flock of sheep when they were free-ranging versus under the guidance of a shepherd. We determined the feeding behaviour of a herd of ewes at the beginning of gestation grazing on lowlands of the French Mediterranean littoral with or without the guidance of a shepherd. Free-ranging animals selected some feeding sites and overlooked the remainder of the paddock, producing a loss of fodder resources and a degradation of their pastoral value. The intervention of the shepherd, if it takes into account the spontaneous feeding behaviour of the animals (preferences and selection of food, social interactions, and diet composition) allows a more complete utilisation of the landscape and the forage resources available