How to raise sheep in confinement? Recommended sheep breeds suitable for confined rearing
When it comes to sheep, everyone is surely familiar with them; they are one of the most common animals in our daily lives. Mutton is now very popular among consumers on the market, which has attracted many people to raise them. There are many raising methods, with confinement rearing and free-range rearing being the most common. However, if you want to raise sheep well in confinement, you still need some skills.
How to raise sheep in confinement
1. Sheep shed construction: The sheep shed can be built as a single-slope open shed or a fully enclosed one. For the single-slope open shed, the back wall height is generally 1.8 m, and the roof slope is 15 degrees. For the fully enclosed type, the wall height is 2.3—2.5 m, and the door width is 1.5—2 m. The floor of the sheep shed should be 20—30 cm higher than the ground outside, laid as a slope to facilitate drainage. Generally, each adult sheep occupies about 1.5—2 sq m, while pregnant ewes, nursing sheep, and breeding rams need slightly more space. The shed should be kept dry and well ventilated, and should be as warm in winter and cool in summer as possible. An exercise yard should be set up outside the shed, with an area about 2 times that of the sheep shed.
2. Roughage preparation.
1. Straw silage. After harvesting, cut the corn stalks down and dry them in the sun for one day, then chop them into small sections of 0.5—2 cm for silage.
2. Microbial fermentation. Use “Baibaoli” or “EM bacteria” fermentation starter, spray and mix evenly with crushed crop straw or agricultural by-products such as wheat straw, corn stalks, peanut vines, peanut shells, and corn cob powder, put them into jars, barrels, or plastic bags and seal them for storage. After anaerobic fermentation, they are ready to eat.
3. Feeding method. Put silage corn stalks or fermented feed into the feeding trough and let the sheep eat freely, feeding 2 times a day. The water trough must not run out of water, and the water should be changed every day. At the same time, supplement appropriately with concentrate formulated according to the different growth stages of the sheep. Generally, the ratio of straw forage to concentrate is 4:1 for fattening sheep, 5:1 for pregnant sheep, and 4:1 for breeding rams.
What breeds of sheep are good for confinement rearing
1. Boer goat. The Boer goat is an excellent meat-type goat breed. This breed originated in South Africa. As a breeding stock, since China first introduced Boer goats from Germany in 1995, it has shown good meat characteristics, wide adaptability, relatively high economic value, and significant hybrid advantages.
2. Small-tailed Han sheep. The Small-tailed Han sheep is a famous improved meat sheep breed in China and one of the preferred poverty alleviation projects of the Ministry of Agriculture of China. The Small-tailed Han sheep has the advantages of a gentle temperament, fast growth, high reproductive rate, strong adaptability, and high economic benefits, and can be raised in both northern and southern regions of China. Adult rams weigh about 300 jin, and ewes about 160 jin. Ewes produce 2 litters per year, with 2-4 lambs per litter, and at most 6 lambs. It is currently the meat sheep breed with the best economic benefits at home and abroad, unmatched by other breeds of sheep.
Zoning plan for sheep farms
A sheep farm is usually divided into three functional areas, namely the management area, the production area, and the sick sheep management area. When planning the zones, first proceed from the perspective of livestock health, with the principle of establishing the best production connections and sanitation and epidemic prevention conditions to arrange the location of each area. Generally, according to the prevailing wind direction and the direction of the slope, the order is the living area, management area, forage and feed processing and storage area, disinfection room, sheep shed, sick sheep management area, isolation room, treatment room, harmless treatment facilities, biogas digester, hay-drying yard, hay storage shed, etc. There should be a certain safety distance between the areas, preferably 300 m, and at the same time, sewage from the living area and management area should be prevented from flowing into the production area.
What to do if confined sheep get mange
1. This disease is also called sheep sarcoptic mange, and is a chronic skin disease caused by mites parasitizing the epidermis of sheep. There are many types of mites that cause this disease, and different types of mites cause different degrees of harm to sheep mange. Because the disease seriously affects the appetite of sheep, affected sheep often eventually become emaciated and die.
2. An important part of preventing and treating this disease is ensuring the hygiene of the pen, feed, and drinking water. Farmers need to clean the pen regularly, disinfect the pen with medication, and regularly wash feeding utensils with medication, such as sheep feeding troughs and drinking troughs.
3. Regularly bathe the sheep on the farm to maintain fur hygiene. After discovering sheep with mange, promptly carry out drug treatment. The drugs used can be trichlorfon or lime sulfur mixture. When using traditional Chinese medicine to treat this disease, strictly follow the steps in the drug instructions, and pay attention to the drug dosage, concentration, conditions of use, and the specific number of uses.
When raising sheep in confinement, you must do a good job in building the sheep shed, and then feeding and disease prevention and control are all very important. When raising sheep in confinement, choosing a good breed is also very important, and the most common confinement breeds are the Boer goat and the Small-tailed Han sheep.