Breeding Sheep - Critical Beginner's Guide Before You Start Rearing Sheep

Sheep husbandry or breeding sheep is the act of
breeding and raising domestic sheep for the
purpose of harvesting its milk, wool, or meat.
These countries have the most favorable climate
and environment for raising sheep which is why
they are the top producers of sheep in the
world. The top sheep producing countries in the
world are: Australia, New Zealand, Iran, United
Kingdom, Turkey, Syria, India, Spain, Sudan, and
Pakistan. If you are planning to become a sheep
breeder, the environment and climate where you
are in must closely resemble those of the
countries listed above in order to be
successful.

Sheep breed well in dry but cool places. They
must have plenty of room to move and enough
grass to graze in. Sheep need plenty of water
and sufficient shelter from the elements (i.e.
rain, winter). Newborn sheep should be
vaccinated immediately, with booster shots given
every 6 weeks for the next 3 months, and then
every 6 months thereafter. Sheep also need
protection from predators. Adequate fencing can
take care of this. Other farmers also make use
of sheepdogs to help them guard and keep the
sheep on specific land. Breeding sheep can be
both a fun and rewarding experience, but can
also be stressful and hard.

If you are breeding sheep for wool, Merino and
Corriedale sheep are the breeds of choice. For
milk, the Assaf and Awassi breeds are known to
produce the best and largest volume of milk
among other breeds. While for meat, Dorper and
Hampshire breeds are your best bet.

In addition to their basic needs, sheep need
lots of attention and care. They need plenty of
exercise especially if you are raising them for
meat (this is so that they will not accumulate
more fat than meat). Most farmers also cut the
sheep's tails (this is called docking) to keep
the sheep hygienic (droppings sticks to its
tails and wool). Periodic worming is also a
must, as is other preventive vaccinations such
as those for tetanus and enterotoxemia
(overeating disease). Farmers should also take
extra care that their sheep do not develop foot
rot, a fungus infection that develops when the
sheep stands too long in wet mud. Breeding sheep
will also often require that the farmer be in
attendance when a ewe is in labor. Supplementary
food like hale and bay may also be needed if
grass starts to run out in their grazing ground.

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who are prone to common mistakes. If you would
like to learn more tips on caring for sheep and
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