How to raise high-grade mutton sheep in rural areas? Mutton may become a new favorite on the table in 2020

With the sharp rise in pork prices in 2019, many consumers have started eating other meats. And mutton may become a new favorite on the table in 2020! So how do you raise high-grade mutton sheep in rural areas? Let's take a look below.

1. Choose high-quality mutton sheep breeds. Generally, crossbred mutton sheep breeds are better. The breed and quality of mutton sheep directly determine market value. Native, crossbred and inferior breeds of mutton sheep often affect the profitability of sheep farming due to their small size, poor meat quality, slow growth and development, and low slaughter rate. Therefore, if farmers want to raise high-grade mutton sheep, they must choose good mutton sheep breeds with fast growth speed and high feed conversion efficiency, and use these breeds to crossbreed and improve local sheep and goats, so as to speed up lamb growth and replace adult mutton with fat lamb meat.

2. Control environmental conditions well. Meet the living conditions of mutton sheep as much as possible, improve the rearing environment, and implement protective farming. The sheep shed should preferably adopt a building-type structure, so that it does not leak water, is not damp, and has no drafts on all four walls. In summer, vines can be planted around the sheep shed and its exercise yard to provide shade and prevent heatstroke, so as to improve the microclimate inside the sheep shed, ensure warmth in winter and coolness in summer, and improve the quality of mutton sheep.

3. Add vitamins to the feed. Vitamins are a major nutrient element for improving the quality of mutton sheep. Adding vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D and vitamin E, etc., to the daily feed can significantly improve mutton quality.

4. Add necessary minerals to the feed. According to the sheep's actual demand for and intake of various mineral elements, appropriately add magnesium, selenium, iron, chromium and other elements to enrich the nutrition of mutton sheep.

5. Add aromatic Chinese herbal medicine additives to the feed. The combined use of traditional Chinese medicines such as licorice, Atractylodes macrocephala, Atractylodes lancea, fennel, katsumadai, malt, Sanguisorba officinalis, Agastache rugosa, Magnolia officinalis, clove, and mugwort leaf can improve meat quality. Experiments have shown that adding 0.2% to 0.3% Eucommia ulmoides powder to animal feed can promote the development of muscle fibers, increase the collagen content in muscle, make the meat quality and taste more delicious, and increase the protein content.

6. Do not feed feed with off-flavors before slaughter. Mutton sheep should not be fed feed that affects mutton flavor, such as urea and fish meal, 10 to 20 days before slaughter.

The prospects for raising high-grade mutton sheep in 2020 are still very good. Meat prices may continue to rise in 2020, and raising mutton sheep is very likely to earn a considerable amount of money.