Hu sheep farming should focus on barn management and breeding techniques

The Hu sheep is a well-known local sheep breed in China, mainly produced in the area around Lake Taihu where Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai meet, and it got its name from its long adaptation to the water-town environment. Unlike most grazing-type sheep, it is kept mainly in barns and under confinement, and this farming tradition has continued in the Jiangnan region to this day, making it an important foundation of the local mutton sheep industry.

The Hu sheep is highly recognizable in appearance, with a completely white coat; both rams and ewes generally have no horns, the body is sturdy, and the tail is a short fat tail. Its most outstanding feature is strong fertility and early sexual maturity: a ewe can produce two litters a year or three litters in two years, and multiple lambs per litter are fairly common. At the same time, the Hu sheep tolerates heat and humidity and coarse feed, has a gentle temperament, and is suited to intensive barn feeding.

When farming Hu sheep, barn management must be a key focus. The sheep shed should be sited on higher ground with good ventilation, kept dry and clean inside, with bedding changed frequently to prevent damp, stuffy conditions from causing foot problems and parasite issues. The feed should be based mainly on green hay and crop straw combined with silage, with appropriate supplementation of concentrate according to the growth and breeding stage, and with sufficient drinking water and salt supply guaranteed.

In breeding management, care should be taken at each stage of ewe mating, pregnancy and lambing, so that lambs get enough colostrum in time and are supplemented and weaned at the proper time. Hu sheep meat is tender and has a relatively mild mutton odor, and the lambskin and hide also have good use value, giving the breed a wide range of uses. If farmers carry out disease prevention, deworming and production records well in daily work, they can usually achieve fairly stable farming results.