Sheep are 'grazers' not 'browsers' and would not eat Pieris if you paid them!

I don't think that's strictly true Mg - I saw a program on permaculture and they were supplementing the sheeps' grazing with branches of leaves - lime I think. And when I was volunteering for the Nature Trust we once had to make a 'dead hedge' of brack (twiggy material) to protect a newly layed hedge from sheep while it grew back.

No idea if Pieris is poisenous to sheep - the RHS might have info on toxicity to animals, or possibly some sheep organisation might hold info?

I'm amazed Sid goats yes they will eat just about anything... right down to the ground given half a chance but all the sheep I've known grazed and never touched plant leaves. Live and learn!

ive never herad of sheep eating it , and ive lived in the countryside and amongst farms all my life

I'd really like to know of this... all the checks I've done still indicate sheep will not eat. I do know our used to break out and only ate grass or low growing herbage in the grass.

Well, I don't have any experience of sheep myself, but the permaculture sheep were defo eating leaves off branches put in their pen and the Nature Trust folks said the dead hedge was to stop the sheep nibbling the new shoots of the hedge. I wonder Mg if, because you're in Scotland, are the hedges and shrubs perhaps a little tougher than they are down here and so not so paletable to the sheep? I think in the case of the layed hedge, it was the very new tender shoots that were attractive to the sheep.

Ah well Sid guess we will just have to accept there is no definitive answer. I am believe what you say.