Sheep Farming

A sheep business can be a very profitable venture especially if you raise a lot of them however starting it may tend to be very slow. For an entrepreneur to succeed in such a venture a lot of patience is needed as well as understanding the cycles of your business for harvest time is a different season from planting.

In most agricultural enterprises, profit margins are slim and profitability varies from year to year, as supply and demand vacillate and input costs rise (and rarely fall). Sheep production is no different than any other agricultural enterprise. It is not a "get rich quick" scheme. It requires good animal husbandry and business management skills to be successful and generate a return to land, labor, and management.

Business planning
In most agricultural enterprises, profit margins are slim and profitability varies from year to year, as supply and demand vacillate and input costs rise (and rarely fall). Sheep production is no different than any other agricultural enterprise. It is not a "get rich quick" scheme. It requires good animal husbandry and business management skills to be successful and generate a return to land, labor, and management.


Financial success usually begins with business planning. A business plan is a "road map." It allows you to plan your business before spending any money. It increases your chances of success and helps avoid costly mistakes. Business planning is considered essential to the success for both new and established enterprises.

While the formats and components of business plans vary, most plans include an executive summary, business description, production plan, marketing plan, and financial plan. Not all plans include all of the same components. Business planning will be more complicated for value-added enterprises versus production-only enterprises.
Every state has Small Business Development Centers and Cooperative Extension Offices that can assist agricultural producers with business planning. Many county governments now have someone in the Economic Development Office that specializes in agriculture.

 Percent lamb crop

Percent lamb crop is usually defined as the number of quality lambs marketed per ewe exposed for breeding. While there are some additional costs associated with producing a higher percentage lamb crop (e.g. lamb finishing costs), for the most part extra lambs mean extra profit. It costs the same amount of money to maintain a ewe no matter how many lambs she produces. Overhead or fixed costs are reduced when productivity is higher.
The optimal lamb crop varies by geographic location and production system. In situations where feed costs and overhead are very low and wool still comprises a significant portion of the income, a hundred percent lamb crop may be profitable. These situations are getting fewer and far between.

Most sheep producers, a 200 percent lamb crop is an appropriate and reachable goal. Most breeds of sheep are capable of producing a 200 percent lamb crop if they are fed and managed properly.
In situations where land and production costs are higher, lamb crops in excess of 200 percent should be the goal. To achieve such a lofty goal, accelerated lambing programs or prolific genetics are usually required. However, beginning shepherds should not start with prolific breeds or attempt to lamb ewes at frequent intervals.
There are various strategies for increasing lambing percentage. Not all strategies will apply to all farms. The number of lambs that a ewe gives birth to varies by her age, genetics, body condition, nutrition, and season. Ewes reach their peak productivity between the ages of 3 and 6. Maintaining too young of a flock will reduce lambing percentage. Fertility is usually highest in the fall months. Ewes bred to lamb in the spring (March-April) will usually give birth to more lambs than those bred to lamb in the winter or fall.

While the heritability of reproductive rate is only 10 percent, selection will increase lambing percentage. The birth type of the individual lamb is less important than the lamb's family history. It is especially important to select rams from multiple births. Rams with large testicles are also desirable for breeding, as scrotal circumference has been linked to reproductive rate in female progeny.
Nutrition exerts a large effect on reproductive performance. Ewes that are in better body condition will usually ovulate more eggs. Flushing may increase the ovulation rates of ewes in sub-optimal body condition. Flushing is when the nutrition is increased prior to and during the early part of the breeding season. Supplementing ewes with 1/2 to 1 lb. of grain usually accomplish it. Ewes that are already in good body condition usually do not respond to flushing.

For Further inquiry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sheep_breeds