How to Raise Sheep

Sheep are gregarious, which means that they are social animals that are happiest in a group. If you want to raise sheep you should have at least four or five of them. There are many different breeds of sheep, but the care required to raise them is basically the same from one breed to the next.

Instructions

1. Provide ample grazing pasture. Grazing constitutes the majority of the sheep's diet. In general, five sheep require the same amount of pasture land for grazing as one cow does. In some parts of the United States one acre supports one cow, or five sheep. In other parts of the country, each cow requires 10 to 20 acres of pasture, so therefore, five sheep would require the same. Find out the cow grazing requirements in the area that you live to determine how much pasture land your sheep require.

2. Fence the entire perimeter of the pasture to keep the sheep in and predators out. The two largest risks to the health and safety of sheep is predators and internal parasites. The fence should be made of woven wire or high power electric chargers.

3. Supplement your sheep's diet with hay, peanuts, corn, soybeans, grains, or commercially sold feed for sheep. Never give your sheep feed that is sold for other animals, such as cows of poultry. These feeds contain high levels of copper, which is toxic for sheep.

4. Make shelter available for your sheep. Sheep do not like to be kept in a barn. They are best served by having dry, open sided, well ventilated shelter available that they can roam freely in and out of.

5. Arrange for regular veterinary care for your sheep. Your vet can suggest a worming schedule to keep your sheep free of internal parasites. Typically a drug, known as anthelmintics is administered on a routine basis to prevent parasites from weakening the health of the sheep. Hoof trimming should also be performed at least once a year to reduce the chance of footrot. Grain fed sheep should be vaccinated for clostridial diseases; and you may wish to vaccinate your sheep for tetanus.