Provide your flock for a walk in the open - build a paddock for the sheep. Their result is not long in coming. The quality of animal hair will significantly improve, the young will adapt more quickly to independent living. And, of course, improve the taste of meat. After all, movement is everything.
Fresh air and free movement in the pen improve the quality characteristics of wool and meat of sheep
- Fresh air is useful for sheep.
- Build a sheep pen
- The process of building a sheep pen
- Sheep pen sizes
- Sheep Pens
Fresh air is useful for sheep.
Even many pets love open air and fresh air. Under the open sky from the breeze, the bright sun not only improves mood, but also the body comes in order. Metabolic processes are stabilized, sheep's wool grows better, the herd becomes more resistant to disease. Good appetite and movement - the key to excellent quality of young. The meat of such animals is tastier and juicier. And most importantly - simplified care for animals.
When building a paddock, it is necessary to take into account that the area of the future plot for one head of the flock is 0.8 - 1.5 square meters. Also important is the age of the flock, gender. After all, the sheep-inseminator occupies a space of the same size, but for the young - another.
In the pen there must be a comfortable environment for the flocks. Provide animals with drinkers of the necessary sizes and a nursery. Hang an awning from the sun and rain, under which all the sheep would fit. Arrange the floor of the pen. Or put a shed of appropriate dimensions. Mandatory requirement is to ensure the tranquility and safety of the flock. The height of the intended enclosure for the sheep depends in part on this.
Build a sheep pen
Sheep shelter is a certain size enclosed plot of land with a shed or shed from the sun or rain and a hanging gate.
The floor in the pen is earthen or concrete. And if the pen is large, it is half earthy, half concrete.
The fence stretches along the entire perimeter of the pen. Its height varies depending on the size of the site. The fence is kept on thick, stable wooden pillars. On the territory of the pen in a convenient location, place the feeders and drinkers of appropriate sizes.
For the construction of the pen it is necessary to use only natural materials, preferably wood.If you can not afford this or that material, you can easily replace it with another cheaper natural counterpart.
For pillar-bases, on which the fence is mounted, thick reliable materials should be used: cutting bar, sleepers, raw logs. But the best is coniferous timber. For the construction of the fence and the gate use: thick plywood, netting netting, wide wooden boards.
Feeders can buy ready-made or make yourself. But they must be wooden. If necessary, if there is no natural water near the pen, you will have to additionally put another drinker. Also wooden.
Sheepfold best to build on high ground. Otherwise, it will accumulate moisture from rain and snow. To form dirty slurry and puddles.
The corral must be located near a clean water source, lake or river. If this is not possible, you will have to stretch the water line to it.
The process of building a sheep pen
Before building a pen, make a markup and determine the area of the plot.
On the perimeters of the paddock at the same defined distance, dig in the wooden bars.To further strengthen them, fill the base of each pillar with cement and sand.
When the cement dries, nail the fence to the finished posts.
If the pen is small, the floor can be poured with concrete or, as experienced sheep breeders do, leave it earthen. If its area is large, fill the floor with concrete only half.
In one of the corners of the pen, in a convenient place, stretch the canvas awning. Its value depends on the size of the flock.
Near one of the walls of the pen, place troughs of the standard required size.
On the sheds to the bar in a convenient place, hang double gates with constipation.
Sheep pen sizes
The area of the paddock for sheep is determined on the basis that the standard minimum size of a piece of land per head in a flock is 0.8-1.5 cubic meters, and the maximum - 3 - 4 square meters. Also, you must take into account the age of each animal and gender.
The height of the fence for a small pen - 1.2 meters. For large - 1.4 - 1.5 meters. The height depends on the size of the pen. The bigger it is, the higher the fence.
The distance between the posts on which the fence is attached should be the same along the entire perimeter of the paddock and equal to 2 meters.
The size of each door leaf should be 100 * 150 centimeters.
If you decide to make troughs with your own hands, then you should consider that their length for one head corresponds to 30 - 40 centimeters.
Sheep Pens
Sheep shelter should be comfortable for flocks.
To do this, it is necessary in one of its corners to equip a canvas shed or awning that would protect from the scorching rays of the sun or from the rain. And if you are going to keep the flock in the pen and in winter, put a roomy barn in the pen.
Equip feeders at one of the walls of the sheep pen.
Cover the floor with a sufficient layer of straw.
It is necessary to clean the corral once a year, in spring.
