What breeds of sheep are suitable for raising at an altitude of 1100 m?

In our country, many regions make money by raising poultry, but due to climate-related issues, many people think poultry cannot be kept alive. In fact, they can be raised; you just need to pay attention to good breeding management depending on whether you choose free-range or group raising. So is an altitude of 1100 m suitable for raising sheep? What sheep are good to raise?

In winter, the cold wind rages, the climate is harsh, and green fodder is scarce. At this time, diseases are prone to spread, and most ewes happen to be in the gestation period, with a very high nutritional demand. Replacement sheep also enter their first overwintering period, facing a severe test. Careful feeding and management of the flock in winter is very important; even a slight negligence may lead to loss of body condition, miscarriage, and even large numbers of deaths. Therefore, carrying out the 5 major care measures (keeping warm, keeping the flock together, maintaining body condition, protecting the fetus, and health care) will be the key work of winter flock feeding and management.

1. Keeping warm

Sheep have a relatively strong cold tolerance, but in winter the sheep shed must not be lower than 0°C, the lamb shed must not be lower than 8°C, and the birthing room should preferably be kept at 10-18°C. Before winter, the sheep shed should be inspected and repaired early, and the roof and walls should be patched as necessary to prevent wind and snow leaks. For sheep pens located in the wild, a windbreak barrier made of corn stalks should be set up outside the north wall; for enclosed sheep pens, wind-blocking straw curtains should be hung at the doors and windows; for simple sheep-raising greenhouses, the eaves can be extended forward, a plastic warm shed can be set up, and straw curtains can be covered on top. In excessively cold seasons, a stove should be lit inside the pen for heating.

2. Protecting the fetus

Rams and ewes should be raised separately to prevent rams from chasing and mounting pregnant ewes; pregnant ewes should have separate pens, the pen doors should be as wide as possible, and the number of animals kept inside should be appropriate, ensuring that the floor area per pregnant ewe reaches 2-2.5 sq m, so as to prevent pregnant ewes from being accidentally squeezed; pregnant ewes should be supplied with more concentrate and light salt water, and warm water must be used, avoiding drinking ice water and eating frost-covered grass, to ensure reasonable feeding and drinking; daily management should be strengthened to prevent fighting, biting, and ramming within the flock; grazing routes should not be too far, and steep slopes and dangerous paths should be avoided, as should human chasing and beating, to prevent pregnant ewes from being startled, jumping suddenly, or slipping.

3. Health care

In winter, flocks are prone to foot-and-mouth disease, streptococcosis, pox disease, dysentery, colds, colibacillosis, and other diseases. In late autumn and early winter, the flock should be vaccinated in a timely manner. After a whole autumn of grazing, the flock may be infected with parasitic diseases such as tapeworms and liver flukes, showing obvious symptoms in winter. Therefore, before winter, the flock should also be dewormed preventively in a timely manner. Commonly used drugs mainly include trichlorfon, ivermectin, bithionol, praziquantel, niclosamide, and so on. Normally, the pens should be cleaned frequently, kept clean and dry inside, and feces should be removed in a timely manner and harmlessly treated through piling and fermentation. Residual feed should be screened and treated, and anything already contaminated must no longer be used. Pay attention to frequently brushing the body surface and coat of the flock to promote blood circulation and improve the health of the body.

4. Keeping the flock together

Winter grazing allows the flock to eat suitable forage and also breathe fresh air, which helps strengthen the physique and helps train cold resistance and disease resistance. It is the main measure for keeping the flock together. For grazing, choose low-lying sunny slopes that are sheltered from the wind and have good water sources. In early winter, some forage grasses and wild vegetables have not yet died off. At this time, seize the opportunity to graze, make use of the warmer period around noon on sunny days, and let the flock consume as much green grass and wild vegetables as possible. In deep winter, switch the flock to barn feeding. For weak sheep, implement special management measures, such as feeding succulent feed, increasing the amount of concentrate fed, and strengthening physical exercise.

5. Maintaining body condition

Supply the flock with high-quality green hay and crop straw, and supplement concentrate such as soybean meal, corn, dried melon slices, and wheat bran in a timely manner, ensuring that each sheep can eat 200-250 grams of concentrate per day. For young rams and young ewes kept for breeding, each sheep should be supplemented with 500-600 grams of concentrate per day. Provide drinking water 2-3 times a day at fixed times, preferably light salt water, with the water temperature reaching about 18°C. In deep winter, even if the weather is very cold, on sunny days at noon the flock should still be allowed outside for exercise as much as possible, to strengthen the physique and improve cold resistance. Maintaining the body condition of ewes is very important. In early gestation, the daily ration can consist of 50% alfalfa, 30% green hay, 15% silage corn, and 5% concentrate; in late gestation, the daily ration consists of 1-1.5 kg green hay, 1.5 kg silage, and 0.45 kg concentrate.