Sheep breeding at home

Sheep breeding is now becoming increasingly popular. Owners of private houses from time to time think about buying livestock for natural food or an additional source of income.

content
  1. Choose a breed of sheep
  2. Key Management Basics
  3. Sheep Room
  4. Feeding and storage of feed
  5. Sheep walk
  6. Veterinary kit 
  7. Breeding Features
  8. Nuances of keeping sheep in winter
  9. Features of the diet of coots and single sheep
  10. How to organize mating
  11. Sheep’s birth
  12. The first days of a newborn lamb

Sheep breeding at home

Sheep breeding at home

Sheep is bred for meat and wool, as well as milk, which is well suited for making homemade cheeses.

Of course, raising sheep at home requires certain skills and a supply of basic knowledge, but they are easy to acquire by familiarizing yourself with the basic nuances care for these animals. First of all, you need to pay attention to the basics of proper sheep nutrition, breeding and caring for them.

Choose a breed of sheep

Choosing a breed is a task that must be solved first of all . The main thing is to pay attention to the basic characteristics: the level of acclimatization to local conditions, the availability of sufficient areas for grazing and the specialization of sheep breeding.

Sheep live on average about 14-15 years, but from the point of view of economic feasibility it is better to keep them up to 6-7 years, and then send them to slaughter. But when setting the conditional time frame for slaughter, one should take into account the peculiarities of the breed.

Sheep breed selection

Sheep breeds are divided into groups by productivity. There are types of fine-fleeced breeds, characterized by homogeneous wool from small downy wools. The group of semi-fine-crowned is represented by larger individuals, which are notable for their high meat productivity. They also develop very quickly, while maintaining high quality wool.

From coarse-haired breeds, owners can get good meat and sheepskin, especially in this regard, the Romanovskaya breed, common in the northern part of the country. She also usually leads a large number of offspring. For private households, it is most often breeds of meat lines that are bred, since sheep are raised for slaughter.

Romanovskaya breed of sheep

Romanovskaya breed of sheep

The North Caucasian meat and wool breed is very popular. It is not only distinguished by its production characteristics, but also by a good heredity. Such sheep reach 55-65 kg of weight and give more than 6 kg of wool.

North Caucasian meat and wool breed of sheep

North Caucasian sheep meat breed

On sheep breeding at home is intended Edilbaevskaya breed of sheep. Due to their endurance, the animals adapt well to climate change, which is ideal for beginner sheep farmers who only learn the basics of this fascinating business.

Edilbaevskaya breed of sheep

Edilbaevskaya breed of sheep

Basic basics of keeping

After deciding on keeping a sheep house, you need to start with arranging the shepherd , and only then start the sheep. Before buying animals and breeding sheep, first of all, you need to decide how many goals you can keep, because this is only at first glance an easy profession. The size of the shepherd, as well as the amount of feed required, will continue to depend on this. When breeding sheep at home, it is advisable to determine in advance where the hay will be stored.

Sheep Basics

Basics of keeping sheep

Caring for sheep requires that you follow the principles of proper feeding.

A person should calculate the approximate amount of feed. This is easy to do, given that at least 2 kg of hay per day must be given to one animal.

After resolving issues with providing food, you need to think about a place for walking: without this, the sheep will not actively develop. Well, of course, it is advisable to take care of the health of the livestock and agree in advance with the local veterinarian on a periodic examination and the provision of emergency care if necessary. Only after solving these basic issues do animals buy: without the necessary conditions they will not develop well.

Sheep room

Sheeps feel better in the pack, so it is important to consider the possibility of keeping at least a small flock. If the place allows, the farmer can also bring several dozen sheep: they will get along well with each other. When buying a uterus for breeding, it is advisable to calculate the place taking into account future lambs, because with the advent of the first offspring the number of livestock will increase. On average, a sheep brings one lamb, but representatives of the Romanovskaya breed give more offspring: from 2 to 4 newborns.

A cozy barn is suitable for a small flock, but if industrial maintenance is planned, this requires a special shepherd with appropriate premises and branches . Usually it is built taking into account the location inside separate animal pens, feed depots, a corridor for staff to work, a technical room for storing equipment and a vestibule.

Sheep room

Room for the sheep

Man, a sheep breeding man must make the right calculations. The optimal size of the total area should correspond to the number of animals: 3 m² are allocated per sheep for comfortable keeping. With smaller sizes it will be crowded, but too large space is also not useful: in this case, the livestock will not be able to fully heat its own heat.

In winter, the normal temperature regime varies between 5-10 ° C, so if the climatic conditions do not meet the declared standards, an additional insulated room will be needed. Rational livestock production has certain requirements. There are separate requirements for the premises where sheep and sheep will live. It is important to provide peace for the ewe and protect it from the main flock. In the maternity room, the temperature should be higher than 10 ° С, so in winter, in any case, additional heating will be required, it is better to take this into account at the planning stage of the room.

Feeding and storage of feed

The basis of the diet of sheep is hay, so when it is harvested and stored it is important to follow certain rules so that it does not disappear. Harvest hay in the summer season, when not only a large number of various herbs are abundant, but there are also favorable conditions for its complete drying.If there are not enough pastures in the district where you can mow enough grass, you will have to buy it. In order to save money, you need to make stocks in the summer: hay is much cheaper at this time than in the cold season.

Sheep feeding

Feeding sheep

Do not store hay on the ground. For the floor you need to prepare wooden or cargo pallets. You also need to think about how to provide reliable shelter from rainfall. There is a small secret that allows you to save hay throughout the season: make or choose compressed bales, because in this case the probability of moisture penetrating inside is minimal.

It is important to correctly calculate the necessary hay supplies. On average, the volume of hay in rolls varies within 250 kg. If you take the bales as an example, then their weight is 10-15 kg, and the standard dimensions are 1.2 x 0.6 x 0.4 m.

Here it all depends on the characteristics of the harvesting machine, how well it produces tamper. Do not forget. One animal consumes at least 2 kg of hay per day, so using simple mathematical calculations you can determine the approximate size of the room for storing feed. Unfortunately, due to the climatic features of Russia, the duration of cattle grazing on fresh grass is available on average only 3 months a year. That is why it is worth the effort to procure feed so that in the cold season there is something to feed the animals.

Walk the sheep

Proper organization of the walk is half the success of a good sheep growth. If you plan to keep young animals bought in the spring before slaughter in the fall, then it is not necessary to organize walks. If you want to keep the ram stable and use it as producers, then you can’t do without them. They are needed to ensure normal coziness, because sheep are herbivores, and this cannot be achieved without their active movement.

Organization of sheep walking

Organization of sheep walking

Without long walks, sheep and sheep quickly weaken, which is especially detrimental to the course of pregnancy and lambing of the female. During pregnancy, it is better to pay a little more attention. Some solve this problem by arranging special pens. Be sure to build a canopy, drinking bowls and feeding troughs in the place for walking, so that individuals can hide from rain and drink some water if necessary.

Walking animals can be done if the following conditions are met:

  • suitable temperature for walking;
  • canopy;
  • animals are healthy and can interact with each other on a walk.

Vetaptechka

Not a single animal is insured against the occurrence of diseases, but the owner must ensure the conditions under which such risks will be minimal. To do this, it is enough to follow the basic rules of care.An integral part of them is the organization of periodic preventive examinations at the veterinarian. You should consult with him about what products should always be kept at hand in a veterinary medicine cabinet.

This list in any case includes special chemi or aluminum sprays that are used to treat damaged skin of an animal.

Cubatol or regular tar will help to cope with rotten hoof.

It makes sense to paint together with the veterinarian a regimen for the use of antihistamines for the whole flock. The standard attributes of a “human” first-aid kit: bandage, tourniquet, cotton wool, syringes, are also suitable for a veterinary. Among the instruments, a gastric tube and enema should also be present, because it is always difficult to predict situations when all of this may be needed.

Features of breeding

Breeding of sheep and sheep involves the use of 2 basic methods: natural method or artificial insemination. Whether it is beneficial or not, each farmer must calculate for himself, based on conditions and opportunities. The latter method is most often used in large farms with a large number of females. Among the reasons for the spread of this method is the desire of the owners to use the strongest and largest producer to reproduce offspring. Usually, in this case, a healthy and high-quality offspring is obtained.

In private households in the country there is no urgent need to raise sheep forcibly and resort to artificial insemination.

Sheep breeding

Breeding sheep

The organization of this process requires certain knowledge and skills in order to properly breed the sheep. It is easier to find a suitable male in a neighboring flock, if the maintenance of such a house is not provided. It is necessary to ensure that insemination does not occur earlier than the deadline: to do this, it is enough to limit the joint stay of individuals of different sexes.

When the scheduled deadline is reached, the animals are brought back together and their joint stay is possible until the start of lambing. Before embarking on such an important stage as sheep breeding, you need to consult someone, you can watch training videos, photos, study the nuances, the consultation and the presence of a veterinarian is also mandatory.

Content nuances sheep in winter

Sheep breeding and sheep maintenance are currently very popular on slatted floors. In a private farm, it is advisable to grow healthy and active animals with this method. The stall content of lambs is no different from other species, only you need to pay special attention to the warming of the room.

The peculiarities of sheep care in the cold season are much dependent on the breed chosen.Cold-resistant sheep are much easier to tolerate wintering and practically do not require special conditions during this period.

Sheep content in winter

Keeping sheep in winter

They can easily winter in cold sheds with only a deep litter. Another thing is with the southern breeds: for them it is necessary to equip a shepherd, where additional heating will be provided. Representatives of the Buubei meat breed are one of a kind, for them there are no differences between winter and summer living, so in the cold season such a lamb can remain only under one canopy. This breed is worth it to familiarize yourself with it, to watch various videos and photos.

Features of the diet of coot and single sheep

The technology for feeding lamb at home should be fully observed and be no worse than in industrial pastures and factories. For lambs, if the farm is small, it is more advantageous in the warm season to ensure the possibility of grazing on fresh grass – only feed chalk and salt are added to such a diet. In the summer it turns out to significantly save on the nutrition of sheep, in addition, they are much easier to feed. Among other things, it should be borne in mind that the feeding ration should be balanced, and the sheep should not be sharply transferred from grass to hay and vice versa: such a transition should be made gradually by mixing different proportions.

To switch to a new feeding regimen, a week and a half will be needed so as not to cause additional stress on the gastrointestinal tract and its disorders. As for the winter diet of cooting ewes, during the first half of coagulation, it does not differ from the diet of unfertilized females. It is better that there is no separation of the sheep in the flock into pregnant women and no.

At a certain stage, differences in nutrition arise, so this gives additional troubles in the process of care. The main diet of sheep consists of hay and concentrates, and root crops, chalk, and sulfur are added as additional food to provide the animal with the complex of necessary vitamins.

In the diet, a significant place is given to the correct diet. There is a misconception that in winter it is possible to reduce the amount of water, which is a big mistake that can result in illnesses and depressed state of individuals in the flock. Water cannot be replaced with snow, as some have suggested: snow is distilled water and does not contain the necessary nutrients and substances.

It is important to pay attention to the temperature of food for feeding, the same applies to water supply: cold sheep should not be given cold water . It must be at room temperature, and on the walk provide for the installation of a heated drinking bowl.

How to organize a mating correctly

It is important to observe the behavior of the female in order to notice the first signs of sexual hunting. When ready for mating, the sheep’s vulva blushes and swells. Mucus of different consistency begins to flow out of the loop, according to which the estrus period can be determined: the longer the period, the thicker the mucus, it becomes like sour cream.

At the time of mating, the female should not be oily and exhausted : these extremes negatively affect the possibility of successful fertilization.

There are some tips when it is best to mate. It’s better to calculate the time so that the lamb comes just in time for the appearance of green grass. Usually a favorable period falls in the winter, just in the second half of pregnancy, when enhanced nutrition is required – the sheep will be able to graze on the grass on their own.

Births in a sheep

Before lambing prepare the sheep. First of all, the hair is cut near the anus and genitals. This is done in order to maintain hygiene so that the newborn, after being born, minimally comes into contact with dirty hair. A separate room is prepared for the female, which should be dry, warm and clean. Straw or hay spread on the floor.

The onset of labor is indicated by prolapse of the abdomen and swelling of the vulva. From this moment, the female begins to choose a comfortable position for lambing. Most often this occurs while lying or standing.

The female can choose a standing pose, and therefore it is necessary to remove all unnecessary objects and ensure the softness of the floor so as not to injure the lamb. If the sheep has a multiple pregnancy, then the interval between births must be counted: usually it is 20-45 minutes. At the end of childbirth, it is necessary to check whether the placenta is fully released in order to avoid infection and the development of diseases. If you know how to properly help the female during childbirth, even a novice farmer with the help of a veterinarian will cope with this task.

The first days of a newborn lamb

After birth, they wipe the newborns harness made of straw. After that, the lamb is given to the sheep so that it completely licks it. It is important to ensure that he tastes colostrum and can feed himself. Moreover, this process should take place already in the first minutes after birth, because this is a natural way of obtaining immunity from the mother.

Unfortunately, the sheep’s resources for feeding offspring are limited: it can provide only 2 of its calf with milk. If the number of offspring is greater, then the owners are engaged in feeding, using milk substitutes. Of course, there is an option to grow the lambs together with the female in large numbers, but in this case it will be necessary to feed everyone.

Having familiarized yourself with the main points of how to raise sheep properly contain animals, you can see that they are very unpretentious and do not require the creation of special conditions. To make the right choice, you need to focus on choosing the right breed: this will make their content even easier.

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Anna Evans

Author ✓ Farmer

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