There are a number of reasons why one would want to raise their own sheep. You can be thinking of raising sheep as pets, you maybe thinking of raising sheep because you want to help improve an agricultural landscape or you may want to raise for profit. What ever reason you may have to raising sheep you have to get the right guidelines in order to have healthy sheep.
When raising sheep it is important that you know why you want to raise sheep in the first place. Knowing your reason will help you in choosing the right breed for your venture and will also help you in preparing your budget to your project.
Below are some tips to get you started in sheep farming and avoid costly mistakes:
1) Housing
When raising sheep its very important that you build a house for your sheep. The sheep house will give your sheep some shelter at night or even during the day when temperatures are too hot or cold. The shelter will also protect your sheep from unwanted predators.
Sheep houses come in different forms. They are traditional barns, pole barns and metal buildings. Some of them can be expensive but you should know that they are not expensive for nothing. But if you are on a tight budget you can go for the hoop house. You can house your sheep in old houses in your yard that you no longer use. And straws can be put on the floor to give you sheep comfort and warmth.
2) Feeding
Just like any other livestock sheep need to be fed on daily bases. When feeding you sheep it is recommended that you use feeders to avoid the food falling on the floor. And after feeding please make sure you clean the feeders. You also have to provide your sheep with clean water everyday. Sheep can consume about four gallons of water per day so make sure you have enough supplies of water.