INTRODUCTION

Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are
members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name sheep applies to many
species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries. Numbering a little over
one billion, domestic sheep are also the most numerous species of sheep. An adult female is referred to
as a ewe, an intact male as a ram, occasionally a tup, a castrated male as a wether, and a young sheep as
a lamb.

Sheep are most likely descended from the wild mouflon of Europe and Asia, with Iran being a geographic
envelope of the domestication center. One of the earliest animals to be domesticated for agricultural
purposes, sheep are raised for fleeces, meat (lamb, hogget or mutton) and milk. A sheep's wool is the
most widely used animal fiber, and is usually harvested by shearing. Ovine meat is called lamb when
from younger animals and mutton when from older ones in Commonwealth countries, and lamb in the
United States (including from adults). Sheep continue to be important for wool and meat today, and are
also occasionally raised for pelts, as dairy animals, or as model organisms for science.

Sheep husbandry is practised throughout the majority of the inhabited world, and has been
fundamental to many civilizations.

The history of sheep goes back to between 11,000 and 9,000 BC, and the domestication of the wild
mouflon in ancient Mesopotamia. Sheep are among the first animals to have been domesticated by
humans. These sheep were primarily raised for meat, milk, and skins. Woolly sheep began to be
developed around 6000 BC. They were then imported to Africa and Europe via trading.

Sheep entered the African continent not long after their domestication in western Asia. A minority of
historians once posited a contentious African theory of origin for Ovis aries. This theory is based
primarily on rock art interpretations, and osteological evidence from Barbary sheep. The first sheep
entered North Africa via Sinai, and were present in ancient Egyptian society between eight and seven
thousand years ago. Sheep have always been part of subsistence farming in Africa, but today the only
country that keeps significant numbers of commercial sheep is South Africa, with 28.8 million head.

In Ethiopia, there are several varieties of sheep landrace. Attempts have been made to classify the sheep
based on factors such as tail shape and wool type, and H. Epstein made an attempt at classifying them
this way by dividing the breeds into 14 types based on those two factors. However, in 2002, further
genetic analysis revealed that there are only four distinct varieties of Ethiopian sheep: short-fat-tailed,
long-fat-tailed, fat-rumped, and thin-tailed.

There is a large lexicon of unique terms for sheep husbandry which vary considerably by region and
dialect. Use of the word sheep began in Middle English as a derivation of the Old English word scēap; it
is both the singular and plural name for the animal. A group of sheep is called a flock. Many other
specific terms for the various life stages of sheep exist, generally related to lambing, shearing, and age.
Being a key animal in the history of farming, sheep have a deeply entrenched place in human culture,
and find representation in much modern language and symbology. As livestock, sheep are most often
associated with pastoral, Arcadian imagery. Sheep figure in many mythologies—such as the Golden
Fleece—and major religions, especially the Abrahamic traditions. In both ancient and modern religious
ritual, sheep are used as sacrificial animals.

References

Ovis guineensis, Linnaeus, 1758

Ovis strepsiceros, Linnaeus, 1758

Economic Important
Sheep are an important part of the global agricultural economy. However, their once vital status has
been largely replaced by other livestock species, especially the pig, chicken, and cow.Australia, India,
and Iran have the largest modern flocks, and serve both local and exportation needs for wool and
mutton.Other countries such as New Zealand have smaller flocks but retain a large international
economic impact due to their export of sheep products. Sheep also play a major role in many local
economies, which may be niche markets focused on organic or sustainable agriculture and local food
customers. Especially in developing countries, such flocks may be a part of subsistence agriculture rather
than a system of trade. Sheep themselves may be a medium of trade in barter economies.

Wool supplied by Australian farmers to dealers (tonnes/quarter) has been in decline since 1990

Domestic sheep provide a wide array of raw materials. Wool was one of the first textiles, although in the
late 20th century wool prices began to fall dramatically as the result of the popularity and cheap prices
for synthetic fabrics. For many sheep owners, the cost of shearing is greater than the possible profit
from the fleece, making subsisting on wool production alone practically impossible without farm
subsidies. Fleeces are used as material in making alternative products such as wool insulation. In the
21st century, the sale of meat is the most profitable enterprise in the sheep industry, even though far
less sheep meat is consumed than chicken, pork or beef.

Sheepskin is likewise used for making clothes, footwear, rugs, and other products. Byproducts from the
slaughter of sheep are also of value: sheep tallow can be used in candle and soap making, sheep bone
and cartilage has been used to furnish carved items such as dice and buttons as well as rendered glue
and gelatin. Sheep intestine can be formed into sausage casings, and lamb intestine has been formed
into surgical sutures, as well as strings for musical instruments and tennis rackets. Sheep droppings,
which are high in cellulose, have even been sterilized and mixed with traditional pulp materials to make
paper. Of all sheep byproducts, perhaps the most valuable is lanolin: the waterproof, fatty substance
found naturally in sheep's wool and used as a base for innumerable cosmetics and other products.

Some farmers who keep sheep also make a profit from live sheep. Providing lambs for youth programs
such as 4-H and competition at agricultural shows is often a dependable avenue for the sale of sheep.
Farmers may also choose to focus on a particular breed of sheep in order to sell registered purebred
animals, as well as provide a ram rental service for breeding. A new option for deriving profit from live
sheep is the rental of flocks for grazing; these "mowing services" are hired in order to keep unwanted
vegetation down in public spaces and to lessen fire hazard.

Despite the falling demand and price for sheep products in many markets, sheep have distinct economic
advantages when compared with other livestock. They do not require expensive housing, such as that
used in the intensive farming of chickens or pigs. They are an efficient use of land; roughly six sheep can
be kept on the amount that would suffice for a single cow or horse. Sheep can also consume plants, such
as noxious weeds, that most other animals will not touch, and produce more young at a faster rate.
Also, in contrast to most livestock species, the cost of raising sheep is not necessarily tied to the price of
feed crops such as grain, soybeans and corn. Combined with the lower cost of quality sheep, all these
factors combine to equal a lower overhead for sheep producers, thus entailing a higher profitability
potential for the small farmer. Sheep are especially beneficial for independent producers, including
family farms with limited resources, as the sheep industry is one of the few types of animal agriculture
that has not been vertically integrated by agribusiness. However, small flocks, from 10 to 50 ewes, often
are not profitable because they tend to be poorly managed. The primary reason is that mechanization is
not feasible, so return per hour of labor is not maximized. Small farm flocks generally are used simply to
control weeds on irrigation ditches or maintained as a hobby.

References

Budiansky, Stephen (1999). The Covenant of the Wild: Why animals chose domestication. Yale University
Press. ISBN 978-0-300-07993-7.

Ensminger, M.E.; R.O. Parker (1986). Sheep and Goat Science (Fifth ed.). Danville, IL: The Interstate
Printers and Publishers. ISBN 978-0-8134-2464-4.

Pugh, David G. (2001). Sheep & Goat Medicine. Elsevier Health Sciences. ISBN 978-0-7216-9052-0.

Simmons, Paula; Carol Ekarius (2001). Storey's Guide to Raising Sheep. North Adams, MA: Storey
Publishing. ISBN 978-1-58017-262-2.

Smith M.S., Barbara; Mark Aseltine; Gerald Kennedy (1997). Beginning Shepherd's Manual (Second ed.).
Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8138-2799-5.

Weaver, Sue (2005). Sheep: small-scale sheep keeping for pleasure and profit. Irvine, CA: Hobby Farm
Press. ISBN 978-1-931993-49-4.

Wooster, Chuck (2005). Living with Sheep: Everything You Need to Know to Raise Your Own Flock. Geoff
Hansen (Photography). Guilford, CT: The Lyons Press. ISBN 978-1-59228-531-0.

Semi-intensive and intensive system of sheep

Semi-intensive systems are commonly used by small scale producers and are characterized by having
one or more pens in which the birds can forage on natural vegetation and insects to supplement the
feed supplied. It is desirable to provide at least two runs for alternating use to avoid build up of disease
and parasites. Each run should allow at least 10 to 15m² per hen and be fenced, but a free-range
allowing 40 to 80m² per hen will be required where the hens are expected to obtain a substantial part of
their diet by foraging. A small, simple house, which allows 0.3 to 0.4m² per bird, and which has a
thatched roof a littered earth floor and slatted or chicken wire walls on at least three side will provide
protection from inclement weather, from predators at night and offer shade in the daytime. The shelter
should be large enough to enter to collect eggs and be equipped with nextboxes, feeders, drinkers and
perches. For convenience the house should be situated so that access to each of the runs can be
provided with small outlet doors or 'popholes'.

Figure 10.38 shows another type of shelter for roosting and laying, which can be used in combination
with daytime foraging by the hens. The legs of this structure have rat guards and ant protection and may
be equipped with skids or wheels to make the whole unit easily movable between runs. Feed and water
are provided in troughs outside the house.

This system is low in cost, but growth of the birds and egg production are likely to be less than with
systems offering closer confinement and better feed. Losses may be encountered by birds of prey and
from failure to find eggs laid in bushy areas. The poultry run requires a considerable amount of fencing.

A fold unit is a house and run combined, having part of it covered with chicken wire and the remainder
with solid walls. The unit should allow 0.5m² per bird and must be moved each day over an area of
grassland. A unit 6 by 1.5m will take 16 to 18 birds and can normally be handled by one man. For larger
flocks several such units will be used. Portable units are generally more expensive than permanent
houses and may decay quickly because of the contact with the ground. The hens have reasonable
protection against birds of prey and inclement weather, and parasites, if the unit is not returned to the
same area within 30 days.

In areas where grassland is limited a yard deeply littered with straw and allowing only 0.4 to 0.7m² per
bird will provide for an outdoor exercise area. This system is similar to the deep litter system, but
requires more space, a considerable amount of litter for the yard and the fresh green food has to be
carried to the birds.

Deep Litter System

Deep litter houses, Figure 10.40, confine the birds in a building that offers good protection with a
reasonable investment. If well designed with low masonry walls set on a concrete floor and wire mesh
completing the upper part of the walls, the building will exclude rats and birds.

The principal advantages of this system are easy access for feeding, watering and egg gathering, good
protection and reasonable investment. The principal disadvantage is the need for high quality litter. If
this is produced by the owner, it is of little significance, but if it must be purchased, it becomes an
economic factor. In either case, the litter and manure must be removed periodically.

The deep litter house can be designed up to 9m in width and any length that is needed. Approximately 4
to 5 birds/ m² of floor area is a satisfactory density.

Slatted or Wire Floor System

A small house of this type with slatted floor is shown in Figure 10.41. Alternatively wire mesh can be
used for the floor. It is built on treated wooden piers 0.8 to 1m above the ground. Ventilation and
manure removal are both facilitated, no litter is required and bird density can be 6 to 8 per m². Feeding,
watering and egg gathering are all efficiently handled from the outside. Either a double pitch thatch roof
or a single pitch corrugated steel roof may be installed with the eaves about 1.5m above the floor. If the
latter is used, some insulation under the roof is desirable. The feed troughs should be equipped with
hinged covers and rat guards should be installed at the top of each pier. The width of this type of
building should be limited to about 2m to allow easy removal of manure and adequate wall space for
feed and nests. The building should be oriented east and west and may be of any length. However, if it is
more than 5m long, nests will need to be put on the sides and all remaining wall space on either side
used for feeders in order to allow the required 100mm/bird. See Table 10.13.

If using a slatted floor' made sufficiently strong for a person to walk on, then a wider building is feasible
as feeders can be placed completely inside where the chickens have access to both sides of the trough.
The floor is sectioned for easy removal during cleaning out of manure.

This type of houses is said to be cooler than other types, but the building cost is high and management is
more complicated.

Combination of Slatted Floor and Deep Litter

A combination deep litter, slatted floor house, offers some advantages over a simple deep litter house,
but with some increase in investment. Figure 10.42 shows a house of this type for the small producer.

Approximately l/2 of the floor area is covered with small gum pole slats or with wire mesh. This area is
raised above the concrete floor 0.5m or more so that cleaning under the slatted portion may be done
from the outside. Waterers and feeders are placed on the slatted area. This type of house is limited in
width to 3 to 4m so that feeders and waterers can be handled from the litter area and manure beneath
the slatted area can be easily removed from the outside without moving the slats or disturbing the birds.
Although this system entails added expense for materials and labour to install the slats, the bird density
can be increased to 5 to 7 per m², so there is little difference in the cost per bird. This system saves on
litter, increases litter life, reduces contact between birds and manure, and allows manure removal
without disturbing the hens. Ventilation is improved due to the slatted floor. Perhaps the biggest
disadvantage is the limited width for convenient operation and the need for some litter.

In medium to large scale houses of this type the slatted floor must be made removable in sections and at
least part of it made strong enough to walk on. An increased building cost and a more complicated
management will result, however. The house shown in Figure 10.43 has slats over 2/3 of the floor area.
This is generally considered maximum for this type of house and allows for a stocking density of up to 8
birds per m². Automatic tube feeders are placed on the slatted floor. One such feeder, with a bottom
diameter of 0.6m can serve for 60 to 75 birds, depending on size of breed. The water troughs are
suspended from the ceiling. The nestboxes are doubled by arranging them back-toback and have one
end resting on the slatted floor and the other suspended from the ceiling. Egg collection can be
facilitated by the use of a trolley, which is supported on a rail just below the ceiling. Cleaning out
between batches can be done by a tractor shovel, if all furnishings and part of the end walls are made
removable.

Table 10.14 Recommended Minimum Dimensions of Cages for Laying Hens

Layers per Cage Area1 Width Depth

Height
Floor

cage per birdfront back slope

No. cm² mm mm mm mm %

1 1100- 1300 250 450 500 400 11 - 15

2 700-900 360 450 500 400 11 - 15

3 600-750 450 450 500 400 11-15

4 550 - 650 530 450 500 400 11 - 15

5 500 - 600 600 450 500 400 11 - 15

20 800 - 900 2000 850 650 500 15 - 20

Depending on the size of the breed