What should beginners pay attention to when building a sheep pen?
Many people choose the farming industry, and raising sheep is one of the more popular projects. This is because sheep have a certain market value, are tolerant of coarse feed, and are easy to manage. But for beginners, everything seems not so easy. So what should beginners pay attention to when building a sheep pen?
I. What should beginners pay attention to when building a sheep pen?
1. Selection of the sheep shed site
The sheep shed should be built in the center of the pasture, with a nearby water source, convenient transportation, open terrain, warm in winter and cool in summer, good drainage, and preferably on level ground on a south-facing slope with a slight gradient.
2. Area of the sheep shed
The area of the sheep shed can be designed according to the scale of breeding. Too large an area causes waste, while too small an area is not conducive to large-scale production. Usually the area per sheep is calculated at 1 sq m, while breeding rams and ewes are calculated at 2 sq m each. Breeding rams and ewes should be housed in separate buildings. The lambing shed can be built at 20% of the number of foundation ewes. The area of the exercise yard is generally 2 to 2.5 times the area of the sheep shed. If the flock is large and the site is wide, a double-row sheep pen can be built; if the number is small or the site width is under 6 m, a single-row sheep pen can be built, and the single-row type can be built at half the dimensions of the double-row type.
3. Feed troughs and hay racks in the sheep shed
They are used for supplementary feed, water and salt, and can be set up separately or combined into a joint hay and feed rack. A movable long trough rack nailed together from wooden boards is the most practical. Generally the trough is 2 m long, 20 cm high, 35 cm wide at the top and 30 cm wide at the bottom. It is generally placed outside the sheep shed so that the sheep's feet do not step into the rack and feed does not fall on the sheep's body.
4. Disinfection of the sheep shed
Disinfection of the sheep shed is relatively simple; routine disinfection once every 10 days is enough. There are many choices of disinfectant liquid. The commonly selected disinfectant types include iodine tincture, bleaching powder, povidone-iodine, Lysol, sodium hydroxide, alcohol, and lime milk.
II. Precautions for beginners raising sheep
1. Sheep are very clean animals and like a dry environment.
Sheep generally will not eat grass that has been contaminated by sheep manure or urine, or grass with an unusual smell. The trough for feeding sheep should be well designed to prevent sheep from getting into the trough and trampling around, defecating and urinating. Sheep especially like dryness; in a humid environment, sheep will develop foot rot and parasites. This requires the sheep shed to be built in a suitable place.
2. Sheep fear heat but not cold
Because sheep have relatively thick wool and poor body heat dissipation, in hot summer, the hotter it is, the more easily they crowd together, which is what we sheep raisers often call “huddling up”, causing heatstroke in the flock. Therefore, the sheep shed must be shaded and ventilated.
3. Sheep are timid and afraid of being startled
After being startled, sheep do not easily put on fat. During the Spring Festival, sheep raisers should try not to set off earth-shaking fireworks and firecrackers. Usually, do not suddenly hit the sheep or suddenly shout to startle and stimulate them, thinking it is fun to make the sheep “stampede”. Many people may not believe it, but this is definitely something to pay attention to.