Detailed Explanation of Key Technical Points for Factory Farming of Meat Sheep

With the rapid development of the social economy, people's quality of lifeand living standards are constantly improving, and the demand for meat is increasing,which has driven the steady development of the breeding industry. Meat sheep are a delicacy on people's dining tables,so how to rapidly develop the breeding industry while ensuring the dietary safety of the public,and increase the economic returns of breeders,has become a subject that relevant personnel need to explore in depth. The following brieflyanalyzes content related to factory farming of meat sheep, for reference.

1 Reasonable selection of meat sheep breeds

There are many breeds of sheep suitable for factory farming and production.Domestic breeds include: Hu sheep, Small-tailed Han sheep, etc.Foreign breeds include: Dorper sheep, Polled Dorset, etc. Regardless of whichbreed, the first consideration is its lambing ability. It should be ensured that eachewe gives birth to two to three lambs per litter as much as possible. Then it is necessary to ensure that the sheep matureearly, grow fast, and are easy to feed, and can adapt to local climate,

temperature and other environmental conditions, especially when sufficient feed cannot be guaranteed,the ability of meat sheep to tolerate roughage and cold should be considered.Generally speaking, during factory farming of meat sheep, the Small-tailed Han sheep is mostly selectedas the maternal parent, while Dorper sheep, Polled Dorset,etc. are selected as the paternal parent for two-way crossbreeding, which not only ensures the advantages of the Small-tailedHan sheep such as high yield, early maturity, and tolerance of roughage, but also retainsthe advantages of foreign sheep breeds such as large body size and fast growth.

2 Building sheep sheds

When building sheep sheds, the first consideration is the site selectionfor the meat sheep farm. It is necessary to choose a location with higher terrain, good ventilation, high drainagecapacity, facing the sun and sheltered from the wind, while ensuring sufficient andconvenient water supply. The style of the sheep shed should be based on the stocking quantity. Scientifically set

the areas of the sheep shed, exercise yard, and feed room. Generally, the area of the sheep shed shouldensure that each adult sheep occupies 1.2~1.5 sq m of space, each growing sheep occupies0.7~0.8 sq m of space, and each lamb occupies 0.5~0.6 sq m ofspace. In addition, if a ewe is in early lactation or late gestation,each one needs to occupy 2.2~2.5 sq m of space. Lighting and ventilation of the sheep shed should be ensured,with good insulation work in winter and good ventilation in summer.Based on specific circumstances, semi-enclosed or fully enclosed sheepsheds can be built. If the sheep shed is semi-enclosed, plastic film needs to be added,so that it not only faces the sun but also provides warmth.As an important place for factory farming of meat sheep, the exercise yard waspreviously mistakenly thought to be unnecessary when raising meat sheep.In fact, an appropriate amount of exercise can not only ensure the health of meat sheep and maintaingood growth conditions, reducing the incidence of disease in the flock, but also efficientlyimprove the quality of mutton. Generally, the area of the exercise yard is about 3 timesthe total area of the sheep shed, and the site should have a certain slope so that there isno standing water after rain. In midsummer, a shade canopy can be set up above the exercise yard,as a place for meat sheep to rest in the evening. Generally, the exercise yard wall is about1.5 m high.Some low-growing, trampling-resistant forage grass that sheeplike to eat and that does not affect mutton quality can be appropriately planted in the exercise yard, such as:goosegrass, foxtail, mountain leek, crabgrass, etc. After sheep eat these plants,the meat becomes more fragrant and delicious, improving quality. Artificial grasspastures or natural grasslands can also be used as exercise yards for meat sheep, thereby improving the levelof factory sheep farming. It should be noted that when using natural grassland asan exercise yard, plants that affect mutton quality need to be removed in advance.

3 Strengthening feeding management

3.1 Formulating feed feeding standards

During factory farming of meat sheep, attention should be paid to feed supplyand yield, which are important conditions for ensuring the quality of meat sheep. Stableforage supply channels should be established, and feed sources should be fully utilized to ensurea reasonable combination of concentrate and roughage, a scientific mix of green grass and hay,

and rich, balanced nutrition to help meat sheep grow.When formulating feed feeding standards, it should be determined based on the flock's stockingquantity. Generally, adult sheep should eat 2.5 kg of hay and 0.25kg of concentrate feed per day. Growing sheep should eat 1.7 kg of hay and 0.25kg of concentrate feed per day. Following this standard, feeders can calculate allthe feed weight for the year, and by adding about 10% fluctuation, they canensure the annual consumption of meat sheep.

Because grazing has now been banned, green hayhas become an important feed for factory farming of meat sheep. It is necessary to consider

its quality and aroma, and select green hay with good palatability forfeeding. In some agricultural areas, corn stalks that have not become moldy can also serve

as a good forage.

3.2 Salt supplementation in drinking water for meat sheep

In meat sheep breeding work, salt supplementation in drinking water is an importantpart of routine management. In past feeding experience, there have been cases where salt was not

added to feed in midsummer, and when winter came, the overallconstitution of the flock declined, they could not withstand the severe cold, and large numbers froze to death. It shouldbe ensured that the flock's drinking water is clean. The flock should not be allowed to drink stagnant water orditch water, and in winter they should not drink water containing ice fragments, to preventcausing miscarriage in ewes. It should also be ensured that after the flock has eaten hay containing bean material,they cannot drink water immediately, to prevent bloat. At the same time,after using urea as an additive, drinking water is not allowed within 30 min,to prevent ammonia poisoning.Breeders need to frequently clean the water troughs used for the flock's drinking water,to ensure water quality safety. Before watering, the stored water in the trough should be emptied,and the daily drinking water in the trough should be replenished in a timely manner, ensuring that every sheep candrink enough water. Generally, the number of watering times needs to be controlled,usually 3~4 times per day in summer and 2~3 times per day in winter.The salt in the water should use salt for animal husbandry or supplementary feeding saltproduced by legitimate manufacturers. To reduce workload, the salt needed by meat sheepcan be mixed with trace elements before feeding. Generally, the amount of salt supplementationneeds to be adjusted according to the season. In midsummer, meat sheep excreteat a faster rate, so more salt needs to be supplemented. In winter, the forage eaten by meat sheepis of poorer quality, so less salt needs to be supplemented. Usually in summer,salt supplementation is needed once a day, while in winter, salt supplementation is doneonce every 3 d. Generally, the salt supplementation amount is 0.5 kg of salt per 100 sheep,or operations can be followed according to feed instructions. Concentratecan be mixed with salt for feeding, or a separate salt supplementation trough can be set upfor the flock. Or it can be compressed into blocks, cylinders, somerectangular, square, etc., and hung up for sheep to lick.

4 Epidemic prevention and deworming

Compared with general livestock and poultry, sheep have a lower disease rate, so epidemicprevention work is relatively simple. Usually, following the regulations of the veterinary department, regularly

inject vaccines into the flock is sufficient. In some areas, foot-and-mouth disease vaccineand sheep pox vaccine, etc. need to be injected.In the body of sheep, the parasites present are generally tapeworms, roundworms,etc., and near wetlands, liver flukes, etc. may also appear. Usually roundworms canbe treated with compound preparations, etc., while tapeworms and liver flukes needto be treated with bithionol. For specific operations, see the drug instructions.It should be noted that these drugs all have certain toxicity. Before use,the weight of the sheep needs to be measured, and then medication should be administered accordingly.In addition, sheep may also be infected with Coenurus cerebralis, also known as"turning sickness", with the diseased reaction being meat sheep circling in one direction. Itsmain cause is that the larvae of Taenia multiceps in dogs parasitizein the sheep's brain. The prevention method is to eliminate dog tapeworms. After illness,sulfadiazine sodium and avermectin can be used in combination for treatment. Ifin the middle to late stage of illness, surgical treatment is needed.On the outside of meat sheep, a type of itch mite also parasitizes, mostly located underthe stratum corneum of the skin, feeding on skin flakes. It causes serious effects on the production and development of meat sheep.If infected, the harm is severe. To prevent thisproblem, sheep need to be regularly given medicated baths, using a concentration of about 1%of dicamba (generic name: dicamba) solvent at a concentration of 0.05%coumaphos emulsion.

In addition, a type of sheep bot fly also parasitizes the exterior of sheep. Itusually appears in midsummer and can easily cause the flock to lower their heads, snort, shake

their heads, and so on, ultimately leading to complete loss of appetite and causing the death of meat sheep. To preventthis situation, a dicamba solution can be sprayed around the perimeter of the sheep shedto kill the adult flies.

5 Summary

In summary, along with the continuous development of the social economy, people'squality of life is getting higher and higher, and the degree of mechanization is developing faster and faster. Factory farming of meat sheep

can rapidly increase the flock's output and can alsoensure the quality of the mutton. Relevant farming personnel need to conduct

in-depth research on this technology, continuously improve and perfect it, thereby laying a solidfoundation for the development of the farming industry.