Detailed Explanation of Key Technical Points for Raising Long-Legged Small-Tailed Han Sheep
The long-legged small-tailed Han sheep is an excellent meat breed. It has been praised by China's sheep-raising predecessors as the "world's super sheep," particularly for its high reproductive rate, early maturity, fast growth and development, large body size, delicious meat, and extreme tolerance of coarse feed (it eats any non-toxic plant), along with stable genetic performance. Due to many years of housed and penned feeding in the local area, it has lost the habit of gnawing on trees, resolving the conflict between forestry and grazing.
Breed Characteristics and Traits of the Long-Legged Small-Tailed Han Sheep
1. Appearance Characteristics
The long-legged small-tailed Han sheep has white wool, with some ewes having black patches on the head. The wool length exceeds 10 cm, and it can be divided into coarse-wool type, semi-fine-wool type, and fur type. The coarse-wool type has coarse wool with large crimps; the semi-fine-wool type has fine, dense wool with indistinct wool locks and small, irregular crimps; the fur type has distinct wool locks, more crimps, and beautiful wool spikes, suitable for fur production. There is no down on the head, abdomen, or limbs, mostly coarse bristles. Among these, the coarse-wool type has a robust build, tolerates coarse feed, has strong adaptability, and grows and develops quickly.
The outstanding features of the long-legged small-tailed Han sheep are its long, thin legs, raised nasal bridge, large drooping ears, and a round fan-shaped fat tail with the tail tip turned upward and pressed tightly into the longitudinal groove, with the tail length not exceeding the hock joint. Rams have large heads, thick spiral-shaped horns (curving around the cheeks), thick horn bases in a three-ridged shape, short thick necks, well-developed forechests, and high withers with relatively long hair. Adult rams can reach a body height of 95-110 cm. Ewes have small heads, thin necks, and most have horns that are small and thin with varying shapes, including sickle-shaped, deer-antler-shaped, and ginger-bud-shaped.
2. Production Performance
(1) The long-legged small-tailed Han sheep matures early. Generally, it reaches sexual maturity at 4-5 months of age. Ewe lambs can be bred at 6-7 months, with the first estrus appearing 30-40 days after lambing, and they can conceive after mating.
(2) High reproductive rate. Ewes can come into estrus and be bred year-round with no seasonality. Under good feeding conditions, they can produce 2 litters per year or 2-3 litters per year. Except for the first litter with a single-lamb rate of 10%-20%, each litter generally produces 2-4 lambs, with some producing up to 7. Multiparous ewes can average over 280% lambing rate, ranking among the highest in the world. Therefore, it is regarded as a "national treasure."
(3) Fast growth and development, high meat production performance. The average birth weight of lambs is 3.14 kg for rams and 2.91 kg for ewes; for twin lambs, the birth weight is over 5 kg. With scientific feeding, 4-month-old ram lambs weigh 50 kg and ewe lambs over 40 kg. Yearling rams and ewes weigh over 90 kg and 60 kg respectively. Adult rams and ewes weigh 120 kg and 65 kg respectively, with some rams reaching over 150 kg. The dressing percentage is 55%, and the net meat rate is over 41%.
Living Habits of the Long-Legged Small-Tailed Han Sheep
1. Gentle temperament, but poor at climbing and traveling over rough terrain
The long-legged small-tailed Han sheep belongs to the calm type, with a docile, timid, and slow-reacting temperament and slow movement. Local people say the small-tailed Han sheep is not "monkey-footed" and call it a "lazy sheep." Therefore, sheep sheds can be built simply, and the height of the pen railing only needs to match the sheep's body height. When grazing, the sheep will not run around; they follow behind people and never stray far from the herder. Trained sheep can respond to the herder's commands, making management especially convenient. However, sudden fright can cause the sheep to panic and run wildly, easily causing "flock stampede," and pregnant ewes are especially prone to miscarriage. Frequent stampedes can also hinder lamb growth. Although rams have thick horns, they have no ability to resist. Therefore, the environment should be kept as quiet as possible, and intrusion by other animals should be prevented. The long-legged small-tailed Han sheep has a large body and long legs, making it unsuitable for climbing steep slopes or long-distance movement. Thus, when grazing, they should not climb hills or be driven long distances, otherwise they will "eat their fill but walk it off" or lose grazing ability due to fatigue from climbing, affecting growth and development.
2. Prefers dry conditions, loves cleanliness, fears heat, and dislikes moisture
The long-legged small-tailed Han sheep is suited to living in dry, cool places. It likes cleanliness and will not eat forage, feed, or water that has unusual odors, is contaminated, or has been trampled on. Hot, humid environments make the sheep uncomfortable, reduce their feed intake, and can cause infectious diseases and parasitic diseases. Therefore, when grazing, do not use low-lying, damp pastures. In summer, avoid grazing during the hot midday and take the sheep to shade to catch the breeze and cool off. When housed or supplemented, hang the hay up or place it in a hay rack for feeding. Clean the feed trough before feeding, and ensure the drinking water is clean, avoiding dirty or sewage water. The sheep pen should have good ventilation, with bedding changed frequently to keep it dry and hygienic.
3. Strong flocking instinct
The long-legged small-tailed Han sheep has a strong flocking instinct, staying together and not separating. During rest or after herding, they also lie down together in one place to rest. Newly introduced sheep, even if driven away and butted by other sheep, still will not leave the flock. When grazing, as long as the lead sheep crosses a bridge, wades through water, climbs a hill, or enters or exits the pen, the rest of the sheep will follow behind in group activity. To save labor, local people often gather sheep from scattered households together for a dedicated person to herd, and after herding each returns home for supplemental feeding and overnight, commonly called "pen grouping." Because sheep flock easily, farmers let their sheep out of the pen in the morning, and the sheep will go on their own to the gathering point. This solves the difficulty of sheep being too few to be worth herding or having no one to herd them, while also ensuring timely supplemental feeding of forage and feed.
4. Strong feed utilization, but does not gnaw on trees
The long-legged small-tailed Han sheep tolerates coarse feed and utilizes a wider variety of plant-based feed than other livestock. When grazing, it walks slowly and eats quickly, can nibble on low, small grasses, and can pick up leaves from the ground. The plant species it consumes account for about 80% of the plant species fed to it, and it especially likes legumes and grasses. During the dry grass period, it can make full use of hay, straw, leaf vines, chaff, and agricultural by-products as feed. The long-legged small-tailed Han sheep has no habit of gnawing on tree bark, and even in woodlands it does not gnaw on trees, so it can be grazed or rested in woodlands with abundant grass. This not only fills the sheep but also adds some manure to the trees, and the sheep can also help watch and protect the forest, achieving multiple benefits at once.
5. Strong adaptability
The long-legged small-tailed Han sheep has very broad adaptability to its living environment, with strong tolerance and disease resistance. It can be raised in any area suitable for human habitation. This has been confirmed by the successful introduction and raising of breeding sheep from the original production area of Dongping County, Shandong Province, north to Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia, and south to the Yunnan-Guizhou region. However, because the long-legged small-tailed Han sheep reacts slowly and has poor sensitivity to disease, when sheep are found not eating, not ruminating, or unable to stand, the illness is already severe. Measures should be taken immediately for treatment without delay. In daily feeding, pay attention to observing the flock's condition and do a good job of disease prevention.
6. Rams like to butt heads
The rams of the long-legged small-tailed Han sheep are large with thick horns, fierce in temperament, and good at butting. When two rams meet, they must determine a winner. The winner is usually the ram with greater size and strength, higher libido, and stronger breeding ability. Local people have the custom of sheep fighting. Using spring trade fairs, markets, and the slack farming season, they carry out "sheep fighting" activities to select and retain breeding rams, selecting the superior and eliminating the inferior through "sheep fighting," continuously improving the breed quality of the long-legged small-tailed Han sheep. Trained rams can also guard the home and yard, and outsiders are not allowed to enter.
Grazing of the Long-Legged Small-Tailed Han Sheep
The long-legged small-tailed Han sheep is suitable both for scattered household raising in farming areas and for clustered herding in pastoral areas. Different regions should combine local realities, adopt different grazing methods, effectively utilize local grass resources, and improve the economic benefits of sheep raising.
Grazing Methods
For scattered household raising in farming areas, small-group grazing or leading and tethering for grazing are preferable, with frequent changes of location so the sheep eat their fill. In pastoral areas, clustered grazing is the main method to improve pasture utilization.
1. Grazing group formation. In farming areas, each flock should be small rather than large; the principle is to facilitate grazing management while allowing the sheep to eat their fill. Breeding rams should be raised separately and not grouped. In pastoral areas, sheep are divided into ram flocks, adult ewe flocks, ewe lamb flocks, lamb flocks, and breeding core flocks for separate feeding and grazing. Usually, each flock has 200-300 ewes, 20-30 rams, and appropriately more for young breeding sheep.
2. Grazing techniques. For small groups or leading and tethering for grazing, or grazing at the village edge, by rivers, in fields, or along roadsides, change locations frequently to prevent reduced feed intake from staying in one place too long. In pastoral areas, grazing should reasonably adopt the "one whip" or "starry sky" grazing formation according to pasture quality, terrain, and season. Also achieve "three diligences" and "three stabilities." "Three diligences" means diligent eyes, diligent mouth, and diligent legs; "three stabilities" means stable grazing, stable entering and leaving the pen, and stable watering. Second, master the principle of walking less and roaming slowly, so the sheep "walk slowly, walk little, eat their fill, and eat well." In particular, achieve slow walking and stable grazing to prevent sheep from being picky, running fast, walking too much, and not eating enough. In pastoral areas, grasslands should be planned and divided into zones for rotational grazing, reasonably utilizing pastures. Pay attention to training the lead sheep; a good lead sheep facilitates grazing management.
3. Grazing precautions
(1) Because the long-legged small-tailed Han sheep is not suited to climbing slopes or long-distance running, when grazing, do not go to high mountains or drive them long distances. Generally, the daily grazing distance should not exceed 2.5 km. As the saying goes: "If sheep run a trip, a day's grazing is wasted." Pregnant ewes deserve special attention to prevent affecting fetal growth or even causing miscarriage.
(2) Pay attention to counting the sheep. Count the sheep once before going out to graze and once when returning each day to prevent loss.
(3) Sheep eating dew-covered grass or grass after rain are prone to bloat, especially legume forage with dew. Sheep eating frost-covered grass are prone to diarrhea and abdominal pain, and pregnant sheep may also miscarry. Therefore, when grazing, take care not to let sheep eat dew-covered grass, grass after rain, or frost-covered grass.
(4) Do not let hungry sheep eat castor leaves or flowers, or sorghum seedlings or corn seedlings, to avoid poisoning. Grazing on legume stubble should be done when the sheep are almost full, otherwise large intake of bean pods can cause rumen bloat.
(5) Master different grazing times for different seasons. In cold seasons, go out late and return early, with appropriate supplemental feeding after returning. In hot summer, go out early and return late, and at midday drive the sheep to a ventilated, cool place with ample water to rest.
(6) Do not graze in low-lying areas or beside water pits with Lymnaea snails, to prevent infection with liver flukes, metacercariae, and other parasitic diseases.
(7) Note that salt should be fed after grazing, not on an empty stomach, and water should be given after salt. The general salt feeding amount is 10-15 g per sheep per day.
(8) Let the sheep drink enough water, and ensure the drinking water is clean and hygienic. When grazing in summer, block the flock before drinking, let them rest a moment, and then let them drink, to prevent them from drinking too urgently and inhaling water into the lungs.
Feeding of the Long-Legged Small-Tailed Han Sheep
The long-legged small-tailed Han sheep has strong adaptability and tolerance of coarse feed. It can both graze and be housed, has low feeding requirements, and is not picky about forage. Local people summarize: "The long-legged small-tailed Han sheep eats a hundred kinds of grass, can find them everywhere, needs no chopping short, needs no washing, is convenient to feed, and puts on fat when full."
1. General Feeding Methods
In pastoral areas, raising long-legged small-tailed Han sheep is mainly by clustered grazing. During the dry grass period, supplemental forage is fed after herding. For late-pregnancy ewes, lactating ewes, and breeding rams, an appropriate amount of concentrate should also be supplemented.
In farming areas, raising long-legged small-tailed Han sheep mainly by grazing in summer and autumn, and mainly by housing in winter and spring when forage is scarce, making full use of hay, crop straw, leaf vines, silage, and agricultural by-products such as blighted grain and cottonseed hulls, while supplying an appropriate amount of mixed concentrate. Generally, each sheep is provided 1.5-2.5 kg of forage and 0.1-0.2 kg of mixed concentrate per day; breeding ewes and breeding rams receive 0.3-0.5 kg. Mixed concentrate formula: corn 45%-50%, wheat bran 20%-30%, soybean cake 10%-20%, detoxified cottonseed cake 3%-5%, bone meal 1.5%-2%, salt 0.5%. The concentrate is soaked in water and mixed wet in a feed trough or basin, fed 1-2 times per day. Forage should be placed in a hay rack or basket to avoid waste or contamination. For hard straw and chaff types (dry corn stalks, bean stalks, peanut shells, etc.), they can be crushed (coarsely ground), mixed with a small amount of concentrate, moistened with water, and then fed, with better results. For lactating ewes, concentrate can also be mixed into drinking water and fed. Drinking water should be sufficient; generally each sheep needs 2-3 kg of water per day, preferably 2-3 times daily, and water should be supplied after eating.
2. Feeding of Breeding Ewes
Ewes bear the heavy tasks of breeding, pregnancy, and lactation. Corresponding feeding measures should be taken according to the different physiological stages of the ewes. Especially in late pregnancy, fetal growth and development accelerate, and the ewe itself needs to store a large amount of nutrients. Since the long-legged small-tailed Han sheep is also a multiple-fetus, high-yield sheep, feeding should be especially careful. When grazing, do not drive them far with the large flock; mainly use housing, supplying 0.3-0.5 kg of mixed concentrate per day. In winter and spring, provide 1.5 kg of hay and 1 kg of silage or succulent feed. Also note that moldy, spoiled, or frozen forage must not be fed, otherwise it can cause miscarriage. When entering or leaving the pen or during supplemental feeding, prevent squeezing and butting.
After ewes give birth, during early lactation, to ensure sufficient milk, provide relatively abundant feed: 0.5 kg of mixed concentrate and 2.5-3 kg of hay per ewe per day, while supplementing a certain amount of succulent feed and providing sufficient drinking water. In the middle and late lactation stages, the concentrate can be reduced to 0.3 kg, with 1.5-2 kg of hay per day. Ewes should be kept in the pen for 1 week after lambing. After 1 week, they can graze on nearby pastures and return 2-3 times a day to nurse the lambs. At night, ewes and lambs are grouped together for free nursing.
The pen for lactating ewes should be cleaned frequently, kept clean and dry, and disinfected often. Afterbirth, hairballs, stones, rotten grass, and other materials should be removed promptly to prevent lambs from licking and eating them and causing disease.
Check the ewe's udder frequently. If blocked teat canals, udder inflammation, abnormal milk, or similar conditions are found, take timely measures to handle them. When weaning lambs, reduce the supplemental feeding of succulent feed and concentrate for the ewes a few days in advance to prevent udder inflammation.
3. Feeding of Lambs
Young sheep from birth to weaning (3 months of age) are called lambs. Newborn lambs are weak and have poor resistance, so care should be strengthened. First, the birthing room should be warm in winter and cool in summer. In particular, winter should be warm, windproof, clean, and hygienic. Let lambs consume colostrum promptly. Colostrum contains antibodies, can strengthen the lamb's constitution and adaptability to the environment, and reduce disease occurrence. Colostrum also contains magnesium, which can promote the excretion of meconium and prevent constipation. As the saying goes: "If the bowels are not open, a hundred diseases arise." Second, for those with insufficient milk or multiple lambs where the ewe has difficulty nursing, artificial nursing or foster nursing should be used. For artificial feeding, millet porridge with brown sugar can be used; after 1 week add some fried soybean powder. Within 10 days of age, feed once every 2 hours, 40-50 mL per lamb each time. Afterward reduce the frequency and increase the amount. Local people use dairy goats to nurse multiple-fetus lambs or artificially milk the goats and then feed the lambs, achieving good results. Third, lambs within 1 week are prone to dysentery, so observe the feces and prevent and treat early. For artificially fed lambs, the bottle must be washed after each use, and cold food or spoiled milk must not be fed. Lambs must not be fed milk powder, because milk powder easily causes indigestion and makes lambs susceptible to lamb dysentery and death. Fourth, pay attention to early feeding initiation and train them to eat forage and feed to promote gastrointestinal digestive function and increase adequate nutrition. Generally, after 10 days of age, lambs should begin training to eat tender grass or high-quality green hay. At 15 days of age, begin supplemental feeding of mixed concentrate (a mixture of corn, wheat, barley, sorghum, soybeans, cakes, etc.), crushed and cooked into porridge for feeding. After 30 days, it can be changed to moistening with water and feeding raw. Feeding amount: within 1 month of age must not exceed 50 g; at 1-2 months of age about 100 g. At the same time, provide high-quality forage, feed less but more often, and increase the lamb's appetite. Lambs can generally be weaned at 3 months of age or weaned early.
4. Feeding of Breeding Rams
The long-legged small-tailed Han sheep comes into estrus and breeds year-round. Breeding rams should maintain above-average body condition year-round, remaining robust, lively, energetic, and with good breeding performance. Breeding rams are best raised in separate pens, especially not grouped with ewes, to avoid random mating, physical exhaustion, and reduced breeding ability. During the green grass period, they can graze, or cut green grass can be used for housed feeding, with 0.4-0.5 kg of mixed concentrate supplemented daily. During the dry grass period, supplement 1 kg of concentrate, appropriately supplement some succulent feed such as carrots, and allow free access to high-quality hay, with a daily need of 2-2.5 kg of hay. When the breeding load is heavy, also supplement 1-2 eggs per day. Ram supplemental feed should be given 3 times a day to avoid a large single feeding causing a large belly and affecting breeding.
Breeding rams should have about 2 hours of exercise time each day to strengthen their constitution and improve libido and breeding ability.
5. Lamb Fattening
The fat lamb meat of the long-legged small-tailed Han sheep has a light mutton odor, little fat, much lean meat, is tender and juicy, and easy to digest. Young sheep grow most vigorously, gain weight quickly, and have high feed conversion, making this an excellent breed for intensive fat lamb production. In particular, using ram lambs for fat lamb production is an effective measure to improve the economic benefits of the sheep industry.
(1) Fattening time. Taking advantage of the long-legged small-tailed Han sheep's characteristics of fastest growth and development, high meat production, low cost, and good meat quality at a young age, strengthen feeding and management after weaning at 3 months of age to promote rapid growth and fattening. After 6-8 months of rapid fattening, the body weight exceeds 50 kg, and they are slaughtered for market, with a dressing percentage reaching over 55%.
(2) Fattening methods. Lamb fattening is divided into two methods: combining grazing with supplemental feeding, and housed fattening, with the latter giving the best results.
① Combining grazing with supplemental feeding. In places with abundant grass, after lambs are weaned, form groups for grazing while supplementing concentrate. In the later stage, switch to full housing, increase the amount of concentrate, and provide sufficient forage. Mixed concentrate: 0.2-0.3 kg per lamb per day in the early stage, and 0.4-0.5 kg in the later stage.
② Housed fattening. After weaning, lambs are penned and provided with high-quality forage and mixed concentrate. Forage is available for free feeding, and concentrate is 0.3-0.5 kg per lamb per day, fed in 2-3 portions. Cottonseed cake can account for 15% of the concentrate amount. Where conditions permit, mechanized housed fattening can be used, with manual control of the microclimate and full use of complete pelleted compound feed, allowing sheep free access to feed and water, which can greatly improve production efficiency.
(3) Management of fattening lambs.
① Grouping. After weaning, lambs are grouped by body weight, sex, and individual differences for feeding. Flock size should be suitable for feeding management, generally 20-30 lambs per group, with 0.6-0.8 sq m of housing area per lamb.
② Castration. Rams intended for fattening should be castrated at 1-2 weeks after birth. Castrated lambs have a gentle temperament, are easy to manage, fatten easily, and have good meat quality. Common castration methods include the knife method, ligation method, and crushing method. Local people consider the ligation method better. The method is: when the ram lamb is 1 week old, push the testicles into the scrotum, then tightly ligate from the spermatic cord area together with the scrotum using a rubber band. After 10-20 days, the scrotum and testicles dry up and fall off on their own. This method is simple to perform and has no effect on lamb development.
③ Deworming. Fattening lambs should be dewormed twice, respectively in the early and middle fattening stages, with medication used continuously for 2 days each time. Drugs can include tetramisole, levamisole, trichlorfon, or "Ivomec" (made in the USA). According to experts, this product can provide lifelong immune deworming with one use and has very good results.
④ Sheep shed. Make the sheep shed warm in winter and cool in summer as much as possible, and keep the interior dry and clean. After each batch of sheep is sent to market, thoroughly clean, replace with new soil, and spray disinfect with 3%-5% Lysol water or 5%-11% alkaline water. In summer and autumn, pay attention to eliminating mosquitoes and flies.