Sneak Peek
Learn to choose the best Sheep Breed for your needs
Sheep are one of the most widely farmed animals. There thousands of sheep breeds and that been carefully bred to suit different conditions and for different production purposes. Some are more suited to wool production than meat, and others better suited for meat than wool. Some have been bred for dairy. Some breeds are adapted snow, some arid climates; some to lush pasture and others to high-altitude terrain. This short course will guide you through the great diversity found across many breeds of sheep, and gives you a broad overview of the husbandry, biology, and history of more than 200 breeds commonly raised across the world today.
An introduction to help you become more familiar with sheep breeds, this course is a great place to start learning about keeping sheep, or starting your career in sheep farming.
Our 20 hour courses are self paced and will help you understand a topic in a short amount of time. You can work through the course when you like- test yourself with mini-tests along the way. There are extra case studies or research you can undertake if you would really like to get into the topic. Once you have completed the lessons and self assessment tasks, there is a final exam undertaken online- you can then download your personalised certificate.
Course Content
This course has seven lessons. Each lesson has a corresponding online self-assessment test.
LESSON 1 DOMESTICATED SHEEP IN HUMAN HISTORY
Types of Sheep
Ovis aries
Ovis canedensis
Ovis dalli
Ovis ammon
Ovis nivicola
Sheep in History
Science in Sheep Farming
Sheep Farming is No Easy Feat
Wool
Hides
Milk
Meat
Types of Domestic Breeds
Breeds for Fine Wool
Breeds for Long Wool
Breeds for Meat
Dairy Breeds
Review what you have been learning
LESSON 2 BIOLOGY & BEHAVIOUR
Sheep Biology & Appearance
Sheep Behaviour
Review what you have been learning
LESSON 3 HUSBANDRY PRACTICES
Introduction
1) General Daily Care
2) Scheduled Practices
Drenching (as required)
Injecting (as required – often twice annually)
Dipping (once a month – depending on seasonal and climatic conditions)
Hoof trimming (once annually)
Shearing and crutching (once a year)
Tail docking (soon after birth)
Castration of lambs
3) Responding to Problems
Ewes and lambs that don’t pair-up after birth
Weeds in the pasture and poisonous plants
Pests and diseases
Breech births and problems during lambing
Administering first aid
Review what you have been learning
LESSON 4 BREEDS & BREEDING
Breed Types
More about Breed Categories
Breeds for Smaller Properties
Meat and Wool Sheep
Mini Breeds
Milk Sheep
Feeding Sheep
Review what you have been learning
LESSON 5 SHEEP BREEDS A-D
Review what you have been learning
LESSON 6 SHEEP BREEDS E-R
Review what you have been learning
LESSON 7 SHEEP BREEDS S-Z
Review what you have been learning
Final Assessment
HOW CAN YOU MAKE BETTER CHOICES ABOUT WHAT SHEEP BREEDS TO RAISE?
Sheep farming can be divided into specialities of wool production, prime lamb production and breeding studs for flock replacement. The success of any sheep enterprise will depend mostly on the suitability of the breed selected and, of course, the husbandry skills and knowledge of the farmer. Sheep breeds differ greatly. Understanding this is the foundation for a thriving enterprise in sheep farming. Husbandry skills can be learned. Before stocking you land though consider:
- Is there enough space available for the numbers you want to run?
- Is the pasture green and the ground not overly moist?
- Is grazing land cleared - free of shrubs, poisonous weeds or plants?
- Is there access to holding sheds and pens to protect vulnerable lambs, and sick or injured animals?
- Is the land securely fenced to keep the sheep in and predators out?
- Do you have sufficient time, skills and resources needed to care for the sheep effectively?
- Can you financially afford the associated services such as shearing or veterinarian services?
Sheep are also a great asset to hobby farms, providing a ready supply of meat, wool and milk. There are more than a thousand worldwide, though only a handful or breeds are well suited to the smaller land plots of a hobby farm. Before selecting a breed, it’s necessary to think about why you’ll be keeping sheep. Different breeds are suited to different purposes and there are several breeds which can be used for both wool and meat. Although all sheep can produce milk, non-dairy sheep produce very little milk compared to specialised breeds.