Division 3.4 Feed (for products of animal origin only)

Manchega sheep graze throughout the year on the natural resources of the area. When in the fold, their diet is supplemented with concentrated feed, hay and by-products.

As regards sheepfarming, mention should be made of the pastures that occupy the clearings in the scrub. This annual pasture is composed of Medicago minima, Scorpiurus subvillosa, Astragalus stella, Astragalus sesamus, etc.

The so-called ‘madajales’ are the most valuable pasture for sheep. These are composed of bulbous meadow grass and significant quantities of legumes, such as Medicago rigidula, Medicago lupulina, Medicago trunculata, Trigonella polyderata, Coronilla scorpoides, etc.

Deep, cooler soils can produce ‘fenelares’, dense pasture with a predominance of perennial and biennial plants, the appearance of which is dominated by the grass Bracnypodium phoenicoides.