What are the key points for raising Small-tailed Han sheep?

1. Build good pens and sheds

The pens for Small-tailed Han sheep should be built in a place with high, dry terrain, good drainage, plenty of light, the ability to keep out cold and stay warm in winter and spring, the ability to prevent heat and cool down in summer, good ventilation and no pollution. The orientation should be north-facing with a south exposure or west-facing with an east exposure in a semi-enclosed plastic warm shed. The pen area should be spacious so the sheep can move freely, and it can also be divided into smaller pens.

2. Feeding divider railings

Feeding divider railings should be set up in the sheep shed or exercise yard. The feeding divider railings are 0.5-1 m high. The left-right spacing of the feeding divider railings for ewes is 15-17 cm; the left-right spacing of the feeding divider railings for rams is 25-30 cm, and it is best if the sheep can stretch their heads out to feed. The divider railings can be made from wooden rods and similar materials.

3. Set up an exercise yard

The exercise yard for Small-tailed Han sheep is best placed next to the sheep shed, with a door connecting to the sheep shed so the sheep can enter and leave freely. The ground of the exercise yard should be flat with smooth drainage, and the yard should have plenty of sunlight as well as a shade shelter.

4. Feed troughs and water troughs

The feed troughs can be built with bricks and cement, or made from wooden boards. The feed trough is 30 cm deep, 25 cm wide at the top and 18 cm wide at the bottom, and 40-50 cm above the ground. The length of the feed trough is determined as 50 cm per adult sheep and 20 cm per lamb. The water trough should always be filled with clean drinking water, changed once a day.

5. Supply enough concentrate feed

Small-tailed Han sheep grow and develop quickly and have a high demand for nutrients, so a complete mixed feed with comprehensive nutrition must be supplied in sufficient amounts. When feeding, give roughage first and then concentrate, feed first and then water, give small amounts and add frequently, and feed a fixed amount three times a day in the morning, at noon and in the evening. Feed changes should be made gradually. Young alfalfa and other legume forages must not be overeaten, so as to avoid rumen bloat. It is strictly forbidden to feed moldy and spoiled, frozen, pesticide-residue-contaminated, or untreated sprouted potatoes and other toxic forages and feeds.

6. Provide enough drinking water

Always provide sufficient clean, fresh drinking water. Do not let them drink ice-cold water in winter; in winter they should drink warm water.

7. Disease prevention and deworming

Vaccination is generally carried out once each in spring and autumn, in March-April in spring and October-November in autumn. At the same time, sheep manure should be piled and fermented for 30 days to kill parasites and cut off transmission routes. Whether for vaccination or deworming, it should be used with caution on pregnant ewes to avoid causing miscarriage.

8. Shed and pen hygiene

If the sheep shed is narrow, dirty, dark and damp, unbearably stuffy, or poorly ventilated, it can all cause a large outbreak of lamb diseases. Therefore, shed and pen hygiene and the disinfection of the surrounding environment and tools must be done well. As far as possible, make the sheep shed warm in winter and cool in summer, and keep the inside of the shed dry and clean. After each batch of sheep leaves the pen, thoroughly clean it, replace the soil with new soil, and disinfect it. In summer, set up a shade shelter; in winter, use a warm pen for fattening. The sheep shed should be clean and hygienic with fresh air. For raising mainly in sheds, drive the sheep out to the roadside or ditch edge to exercise 2 times a day, 1 hour each time.