Characteristics of Sheep - Managing Sheep Effectively Will Be Easy If You Understand Their Behaviour

In order to understand sheep farming and the
dynamics that come with it, it is important
first that we know some of the characteristics
of sheep. Sheep are primarily kept as farm
animals mainly for their wool, meat, and to some
extent their by products like cheese and milk.
These characteristics of sheep must be carefully
considered if you intend to understand their
behavior and how to effectively manage them.
Sheep are gregarious animals, they are better
kept in numbers and that makes them social
creatures. <br />

These animals have a strong sense of flocking.
If kept in a good number of four or more they
will exhibit flocking dynamics that would make
them easier to control or when herding. However,
keep in mind as well that when sheep are kept in
solitary or their numbers dwindle or natural
predators are absent, the same flocking behavior
may be lost or momentarily stopped. At this
instance, you would need the services of a herd
dog that with their in-bred herding skills will
greatly help in your herding and keeping your
sheep flock within sight.

One of the characteristics of sheep is that they
are grass fed. They are ruminants or animals
whose stomachs are composed of different
compartments designed to utilize and digest
grass and other similar products like hay. If
you live in an environment with lush greenery
the grass may have enough moisture in them that
will also provide the water they need on a daily
basis. Some farmers are able to raise sheep in
temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius, so a
moderate environment is suitable for sheep as
well. When kept in a confined space, the sheep
are provided with fans to supplement their
tolerance for temperature changes.

A mature sheep will have a size between 22 kilos
and 227 kilos which all depends on the breed.
Some breeds of sheep are best for specific
purposes like for wool production alone or milk
production exclusively. One of the
characteristics of sheep when it comes to
breeding is they do it seasonally but it is
essential to know as well that there are breeds
that capable of doing this on a year round
basis. This cycling period starts between the
last part of August and early part of September.
A successful gestation period is usually five (5)
months. In case there is no breeding the ewe will
just undergo cycling period again and then
ovulate every seventeen (17) days. Sheep on
average have a 50 percent probability to have
twins. These characteristics of sheep will help
you in your choice of breed and the purpose with
which you intend to raise sheep.

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characteristics of sheep and rearing sheep?
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