Livestock Farmers Guide To Raising Goats and Sheep in Your Ranch

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A lot of people are moving from urban areas to the country side so they become livestock farmers. Some just want to raise livestock to feed their families and others want to raise livestock so they sell the produce for extra income.

But whether you want to raise livestock as pets or for commercial purposes you have to get the right information and guidelines on how to raise healthy livestock. Two types of livestock that can be easy to raise for a beginner farmer are goats and sheep. They are easy to care for and manage.

Goats:

Goats are fascinating creatures to raise, all you need are the necessary tools to care and manage them. When starting out it’s important that you choose the right breed of goats. They are breeds that produce milk, meat and fur. Goats that produce milk require different care then those that produce meat and fur.

Once you have chosen the type of breed you want to raise the next step is to prepare their grazing land. Goats feed on pasture so you should make sure you have enough pasture to feed your goats. Goats also turn to eat anything that is edible so make sure their area of feeding is clear of plants that can be poisonous to your goats.

Also make sure you build a goat house for your goats to rest. They may at times need some shelter from very hot and dry weather so the house will protect them.

Sheep:

Raising sheep is almost the same as raising goats. They need to be cared for and managed well. You need a lot of grass and plenty of grazing land in order to raise healthy sheep. You also have to build them some shelter so they don’t get wet in cold humid weather.

You have to make a decision on what type of breed you want to raise. Corriedale and Columbia breeds are good for lambing. If you want to raise sheep for meat then go for the Dorper and Hampshire breeds. And when it comes to wool products there is no better breed then the Merino breed.

You also need equipment for shearing, tagging, fencing, cleaning and other barnyard tools to manage your sheep. The only thing required to raise healthy sheep is to take good care of them and in return they will produce quality products for you that you can sell.