Do you want to raise sheep for milk, meat or wool? Before you get started in raising sheep make sure you know what your purpose is to raising sheep. Knowing why you want to want to raise sheep for will help you in deciding the type of breed to choose. There are some breed of sheep that are right for milk production whilst others are good for meat and wool production.
Below are some more things to consider when raising sheep:
Land – Raising sheep requires that you have land for them to graze on. An acre of land can be suitable for about 3 – 6 sheep. Land can be costly so you should make sure you have some money to invest in buying land.
Shelter – Your sheep will most definitely need some shelter or a place to call home. A barn will protect your sheep from extreme weather conditions and predators that will harm them. At list 15 square feet per sheep is required.
Market – Are you planning to raise your sheep for profits? If so then you need to do some research on how to price your products for good returns in investment.
Equipment – When raising sheep there is certain machinery you need to buy to maintain your flock. Some of the equipment you need is a fence, cleaning material and shearing equipment just to name a few.
You also need to be able to manage your flock. When it comes to flock management they are 4 styles. Range band, specialized flocks, farm flocks and hobby flocks. When starting out in raising sheep you should start with hobby flock management.
