Sheep farming

**Global Sheep Farming Overview**
– Main sheep-producing countries: mainland China, Australia, India, Iran, former Sudan
– Approx. 540 million sheep slaughtered annually for meat
– Distribution of sheep by continent: Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, Americas
– Top sheep meat producers: mainland China, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Turkey
– Sheep industry in Mongolia: 30.2 million sheep in 2018

**Sheep Farming in the United States**
– Sheep inventory in the US since 1867
– Peak sheep numbers in 1884 and decline to 6 million
– Decline in lamb consumption from 1960s to 2012
– Decrease in US sheep operations from 105,000 to 80,000
– Sheep industry’s contribution to US livestock receipts

**Sheep Reproduction and Lambing**
– Overview of domestic sheep reproduction
– Factors influencing lambing seasons
– Advantages of accelerated lambing
– Practices involved in lamb marking
– Importance of tail docking and castration
– Controversies surrounding mulesing and castration methods

**Sheep Health and Nutrition**
– Importance of sheep branding for identification
– Shepherd’s role in flock management
– Historical significance of sheep farming in wartime
– Overview of sheep health practices
– Sheep’s primary diet of pasture roughage
– Supplemental feed given to sheep
– Role of corn and hay in sheep nutrition

**Sheep Husbandry Practices**
– Shearing practices for sheep
– Timing of shearing for ewes
– Methods of shearing: manual blades vs. machine shears
– Payment structure for shearers in Australia
– Concerns about speed over animal care in shearing
– Purpose of crutching for sheep hygiene
– Areas typically crutched: face and buttocks
– Role of saleyards in sheep trade
– Process of slaughtering sheep
– Age at which lambs are typically slaughtered
– Natural lifespan of sheep
– Overview of shepherding practices
– Role of herding dogs in sheep management