Sheep husbandry

03/02/2023

27/01/2023

Housing for sheep
Housing needs for sheep vary by climate, season(s) of lambing, and management preferences of the shepherd. If lambing will occur during periods of inclement weather, more elaborate housing is usually required. If lambing will occur on pasture during periods of mild weather, simple shelters may be all that is needed.

Lambing percentages are usually higher when shed lambing is practiced. Housed sheep have lower nutritional requirements, whereas sheep kept outside have fewer respiratory problems.

In addition, most operations need facilities where they can store feed, bedding, and equipment. Hay stored in a barn or shed will maintain its quality better than hay that is stored outside, even if the hay is covered. Equipment will last longer if it is housed under a roof. An area is needed to quarantine new animals and keep sick ones. Separate housing is often needed for rams.

Barns (and similar structures) are often built for the comfort and convenience of the shepherd. During cold or inclement weather, it is easier and more enjoyable to care for sheep that are housed. However, housing costs can add significantly to the investment costs of a sheep enterprise.

27/01/2023

The Texel originated on the Isle of Texel off the coast of The Netherlands early in the nineteenth century. The original Old Texel was probably a short-tailed variety of sheep. Limited importations of Lincoln and Leicester Longwool were crossed with this stock during the mid-1800’s. The characteristics of the breed were established early on through a series of local showing competitions on the island. The emphasis was on a sheep that would produce heavily muscled lambs of superior eating quality. Since the primary market for these lambs was Continental Europe where excess fat on meat cuts has always been unpopular, significant effort was also made to produce a sheep that had a low propensity for fat deposition.

15/01/2023

Shelter and Environment
Sheep are kept in flocks — in pens, in a barn or on pasture. In cold climates sheep need shelter in the winter[citation needed]. Sheep need shelter from rain for a day before shearing so that the fleece is dry enough to be pressed.

Health Care
Sheep, particularly those kept inside, are vaccinated when they are newborn lambs. The lambs receive their first antibodies via their mother's colostrum in the first few hours of life, and then via a vaccination booster every six weeks for next three months and then by booster every six months. Farmers work with animal nutritionists and veterinarians to keep sheep healthy and to manage animal health problems. Lambs may be castrated and have their tails docked for easier shearing, cleanliness and to help protect them from fly strike. Shearers or farmers need to remove wool from the hindquarters, around the a**s, so that droppings do not adhere. In the southern hemisphere this is called dagging or crutching.

Water, Food and Air
Sheep need fresh water from troughs or ponds, except that in some countries, such as New Zealand, there is enough moisture in the grass to satisfy them much of the time.

Upon being weaned from ewe's milk, they eat hay, grains and grasses. The lambs are weaned due to increasing competition between the lamb and ewe for food[citation needed]. Sheep are active grazers where such feed is available at ground or low levels. They are usually given feed twice a day from troughs or they are allowed to graze in a pasture
Sheep are most comfortable when the temperature is moderate, so fans may be needed for fresh air if sheep are kept in barns during hot weather. In Australia, sheep in pasture are often subjected to 40 °C (104 °F), and higher, daytime temperatures without deleterious effects. In New Zealand sheep are kept on pasture in snow for periods of 3 or 4 days before they have to have supplemental feeding.

Flock management styles
Generally speaking, there are four general styles of sheep husbandry to serve the varied aspects of the sheep industry and the needs of a particular shepherd. Commercial sheep operations supplying meat and wool are usually either "range band flocks" or "farm flocks". Range band flocks are those with large numbers of sheep (often 1,000 to 1,500 ewes) cared for by a few full-time shepherds[citation needed].. The pasture-which must be of large acreage to accommodate the greater number of sheep-can either be fenced or open. Range flocks usually require the shepherds to live with the sheep as they move throughout the pasture[citation needed], as well as the use of sheepdogs and means of transport such as horses or motor vehicles. As range band flocks move within a large area in which it would be difficult to supply a steady source of grain, almost all subsist on pasture alone. This style of sheep raising accounts for most of the sheep operations in the U.S., South America, and Australia[citation needed].

Farm flocks are those that are slightly smaller than range bands, and are kept on a more confined, fenced pasture land. Farm flocks may also be a secondary priority on a larger farm, such as by farmers who raise a surplus of crops to finish market lambs on, or those with untillable land they wish to exploit. However, farm flocks account for many farms focused on sheep as primary income in the U.K. and New Zealand (due to the more limited land available in comparison to other sheep-producing nations). The farm flock is a common style of flock management for those who wish to supplement grain feed for meat animals.

An important corollary form of flock management to the aforementioned styles are specialized flocks raising purebred sheep. Many commercial flocks, especially those producing sheep meat, utilize cross-bred animals. Breeders raising purebred flocks provide stud stock to these operations, and often simultaneously work to improve the breed and participate in showing. Excess lambs are often sold to 4-H groups. The last type of sheep keeping is that of the hobbyist. This type of flock is usually very small compared to commercial operations, and may be considered pets. Those hobby flocks which are raised with production in mind may be for subsistence purposes or to provide a very specialized product, such as wool for handspinners. Quite a few people, especially those who emigrated to rural areas from urban or suburban enclaves, begin with hobby flocks or a 4-H lamb before eventually expanding to farm or range flocks[citation needed].

24/08/2022

Domestic sheep reproduce sexually much like other mammals, and their reproductive strategy is furthermore very similar to other domestic herd animals. A flock of sheep is generally mated by a single ram, which has either been chosen by a farmer or has established dominance through physical contest with other rams (in feral populations).[1] Most sheep have a breeding season (tupping) in the autumn, though some are able to breed year-round.[1]
Largely as a result of the influence of humans in sheep breeding, ewes often produce multiple lambs. This increase in the lamb births, both in number and birth weight, may cause problems in delivery and lamb survival, requiring the intervention of shepherds.

09/08/2022

Some people keep sheep to improve and/or maintain their landscapes. Due to their small size, upland grazing preferences, and preference for many weeds, sheep are ideal for vegetation control, especially where the primary vegetation is grass and forbs. Their small hooves minimize soil compaction and erosion. They shy away from fragile riparian areas.
In fact, opportunities for fee-based grazing by sheep (and goats) are expanding as society seeks more environmentally-friendly ways to control invasive weeds and other unwanted vegetation. But even when they're not being used to clean up a landscape, sheep (and other livestock) help to keep land in open space and preserve rural landscapes

09/08/2022

Why do you want to raise sheep?
There are many reasons to raise sheep. The reasons are important, as they will have a significant impact on the breed(s) that are raised and the manner in which the sheep are fed, managed, and marketed.
Economic
Traditionally, sheep have been raised on farms and ranches for the purpose of generating an income for the farm and family. While some farms make a majority of their income from raising sheep, sheep production is more often a secondary or tertiary enterprise on a farm. In fact, sheep-raising compliments many other agricultural enterprises. It is a popular enterprise for many part-time and lifestyle farmers. Sheep production is a good activity for youth and retirees.
There can be numerous tax advantages to raising sheep or engaging in similar agricultural activities. Some people raise sheep for the primary purpose of having their properly taxed at (lower) agricultural rates. The legal definition of a farm (for real estate tax purposes) varies by state and country.
While all agricultural enterprises are expected to eventually generate a profit and pay taxes, many people raise sheep (and other livestock) as a "tax write-off." Farm expenditures, including capital purchases, can be written off against ordinary income. Most sheep-related purchases are exempt from sales tax.