Analysis of the Cost and Profit of Small-Tailed Han Sheep Farming

The Small-Tailed Han sheep is a dual-purpose meat and fur sheep breed in China, with advantages such as fast growth and development, early maturity, strong reproductive capacity, stable genetic performance, and strong adaptability. It is not only one of the best projects for farmers to escape poverty and achieve prosperity, but also the most reliable project in government poverty alleviation work, and an important measure for the national policy of closing hillsides to facilitate afforestation, returning farmland to grassland, planting grass to raise sheep, and building ecological agriculture. Let's take a look at the cost and profit of Small-Tailed Han sheep farming below!

Analysis of the Farming Benefits of Small-Tailed Han Sheep

1. Breeding sheep price: The market price for live sheep is 7.6-8.4 yuan/kg. Calculated at 7.6 yuan/kg, lambs are generally weaned at 35-45 days after birth and fattened for 80-90 days, with an average weight of 50 kg. 7.6 yuan × 50 kg = 380 yuan.

2. Feed price: A fattened lamb consumes an average of 1-1.25 kg of dry hay per day, with an average of 0.2 yuan per kg, 0.2 yuan × 1.25 kg = 0.25 yuan. The concentrate ratio is 49% cornmeal, 18% wheat bran, 15% soybean cake, 13% miscellaneous grains, 2% salt, 1% fish meal, 1% bone meal, 1% vitamins and

trace elements, at 1.2-1.4 yuan per kg, requiring 0.25 kg of concentrate per day, which is 0.35 yuan. The daily feed input (dry hay + concentrate) for one lamb is 0.25 yuan + 0.35 yuan = 0.6 yuan.

3. Lamb profit: The cost of one fattened lamb from birth to slaughter is 0.6 yuan × 120 days = 72 yuan. The selling price is 380 yuan, so the profit is 380 yuan - 72 yuan = 308 yuan.

4. Ewe profit: A ewe consumes an average of 1.5-1.75 kg of dry hay and 0.25 kg of concentrate per day, approximately 0.6-0.7 yuan. The annual cost for one ewe is 0.7 yuan × 365 days = 255.5 yuan. The total annual cost (including epidemic prevention fees) does not exceed 300 yuan. The profit is 308 yuan × 6 lambs - 300 yuan = 1848 yuan - 300 yuan = 1548 yuan.

Cost and Profit of Small-Tailed Han Sheep Farming

Based on an investment in raising 100 ewes, 3 litters can be produced within 2 years, with an average of 3 lambs per litter. Calculating the lambs at a male-to-female ratio of 1:1, and the selling price at an average value of 1000 yuan per sheep.

1. First-Year Investment Cost

2. Second-Year Investment Cost

3. Two-Year Investment Returns

Feeding and Management Techniques for Small-Tailed Han Sheep

1. Timely castration: Lambs used for fattening should generally be castrated within 1-3 weeks. Castration at this time helps improve meat quality, making the meat tender, reducing mutton odor, and making the sheep docile and easy to manage, which facilitates fattening.

2. Early weaning: The traditional weaning time for Small-Tailed Han sheep is mostly at 3-4 months of age. According to experiments, lambs weaned at 60 days and 90 days of age, when fattened under the same conditions until 6 months of age, had basically similar average body weights and average daily gains, with no significant difference. This indicates that early

weaning at 2 months of age is feasible. Weaning and fattening at 2 months of age helps the ewes to be bred earlier, increasing the breeding stock from 3 litters in 2 years to 2 litters per year, thereby improving the reproduction rate, slaughter rate, and meat production of Small-Tailed Han sheep.

3. Regular deworming: Fattening lambs should be dewormed once after weaning and once in early autumn. Commonly used deworming drugs include niclofolan, bithionol, and albendazole, administered orally at 4 mg, 35-75 mg, and 2.5-3 mg per kg of body weight respectively.

4. Fine indoor feeding: Change from the traditional extensive feeding method to a fine indoor feeding method for intensive fattening, with a reasonable mix of roughage and concentrate, so that lambs can be slaughtered in about half a year, which can significantly improve economic benefits. Specifically, a mixed feed of 35% green dry hay, 37% corn stalk powder, 5% soybean cake, 4% cottonseed cake,

and 14% corn can be used. For weaned lambs fattened to 5-6 months of age, the live weight can reach over 40 kg, with an average daily gain of over 200 g.

5. Feeding additives

① Feeding sheep fattening compound feed: This additive is composed of trace elements iron, copper, manganese, zinc, selenium, rumen metabolism regulators, growth promoters, and substances that inhibit harmful microorganisms. It is suitable for fattening castrated lambs of the year and culled old sheep. Feeding this additive increases weight gain speed

and feed conversion rate by 23.1% and 18.7% respectively.

② Adding rumensin: Its function is to control and improve rumen fermentation efficiency, thereby increasing weight gain speed and feed conversion rate. Experiments have shown that indoor-fed Small-Tailed Han sheep fed rumensin increased daily gain by about 35% compared to the control group, and feed conversion rate increased by 27%. For Small-Tailed Han sheep, add 25-30 mg of rumensin per kg

of diet. In practical application, the appropriate amount should be determined based on the diet composition, and it should be evenly mixed into the feed. The initial amount can be lower, then gradually increased.

③ Adding urea phosphate: Its function is to supplement nitrogen and phosphorus for ruminants. It is a new type of non-protein nitrogen feed additive. Adding about 10 g of urea phosphate per sheep per day increases the average daily gain by 26.7%.

④ Adding zinc bacitracin antibacterial growth promoter: Its function is to benefit livestock and facilitate the digestion and absorption of nutrients in the intestinal tract, improve feed utilization, and increase body weight. For lambs, add 10-20 mg per kg of mixed feed, mix evenly in the feed and feed.

6. Timely slaughter: Small-Tailed Han sheep have strong early growth intensity and slower later growth. If meat lambs are raised to over 1 year of age before slaughter, the feeding cost is high and fat deposition is excessive. Therefore, the optimal period for rapid fattening and slaughter of lambs is at 5-6 months of age.