Guide to Successful Sheep Farming: Comprehensive Care and Nutrition

Sheep farming is no longer a subsistence activity but has become a highly profitable business, provided it is managed professionally. The difference between having a flock that barely survives and one that generates real profits (quality meat and good wool) can be summed up in a single word: management.

In this article, we will explore the fundamental pillars for the well-being of your sheep, focusing on what really makes a difference: strategic nutrition and a preventive health plan.

The Basis for Success: Food and Water

Many farmers make the mistake of thinking that “letting the sheep out to pasture” is sufficient. However, to obtain high yields, we must pay attention to the details:

• Water: An adult sheep can consume between 4 and 10 liters of water per day, depending on the climate and whether it is lactating. If the water is dirty or scarce, the animal will immediately stop eating, slowing its growth.
• Flushing Strategy: An expert secret is to improve feed quality three weeks before service (mating). This increases the ovulation rate, resulting in more multiple births (twins) and stronger lambs.

Supplementation: Which vitamins are essential?

Even the best pastures can suffer from soil mineral deficiencies. This is where veterinary supplementation becomes mandatory to avoid weak animals with low immunity.

– Vitamins A, D, and E (The Growth Trio)

This is the most common and necessary injectable supplement.

• Vitamin A: Protects mucous membranes and prevents respiratory infections.
• Vitamin D: Essential for fixing calcium in bones (preventing rickets in lambs).
• Vitamin E: Vital for reproduction and muscle health.

– The Danger of “White Muscle Disease”

If your lambs are born weak, cannot stand up, or die suddenly, they likely suffer from a Selenium and Vitamin E deficiency. Administering a supplement containing these elements to pregnant ewes prevents this fatal condition.

– B-Complex and Reconstitutents

When an animal has been sick or has suffered stress from transport or extreme weather, B-Complex acts as a metabolic stimulant, quickly restoring appetite and energy.

Health Plan: Prevention is Cheaper than the Cure

A sick animal does not gain weight and consumes resources. Your health calendar must include:

• Strategic Deworming: Gastrointestinal parasites are the number one enemy of weight gain in sheep. It is vital to rotate deworming active ingredients to prevent resistance.
• Vaccination: Protect your flock against clostridial diseases (such as enterotoxemia or “overeating disease”), which often cause sudden death in the healthiest, fastest-growing animals.

General Management: Hooves and Shelter

• Hoof Care (Trimming): In wet terrain, hooves can overgrow and accumulate bacteria/fungi, causing footrot. A sheep with a limp will not walk to graze and, consequently, will lose weight drastically. Perform periodic trimming.
• Shelter: Although sheep are hardy, extreme cold for newborn lambs or excessive heat for animals with heavy wool can be fatal. Provide simple but effective shelter.

Conclusion

Having healthy, productive sheep is not a matter of luck, it is a matter of supplementation and care. Investing in quality vitamins and maintaining an up-to-date health schedule translates directly into more pounds of meat and better wool at the time of sale.

Looking to boost your flock? At Vitofarma, we have a complete line of veterinary solutions: vitamins, organic modifiers, antiparasitics, and antibiotics designed for the demanding farmer.