APPENDIX III

SOME EXAMPLES OF FACILITIES

TIPS

- A ewe needs 12 square feet (1.1 sq. meters) of space; a ewe and lamb need 15 sq. feet (1.4 sq. meters) and a weaned lamb needs 8 sq.ft. (0.7 sq. meters).

- Locate facilities on a well-drained site (soils and gentle slopes). Mud breeds diseases.

- Housing should be well ventilated, lighted, cool, dry, shaded, protected from driving rains and strong winds and easily cleaned.

- Housing with slatted floors helps to control worms because the reproductive cycle is broken. The house should be on legs with the floor about 3 to 4 feet (1 to 1.5 meters) above ground for easy cleaning and collection of manure.

- A slatted floor should be wide enough for the manure to fall through, but narrow enough so that the sheep's legs to not get caught.

- Ground level floors can be made of concrete, stone or packed earth all of which are easily cleaned and swept. A mixture of 90% soil and 10% cement can be used to make a hard floor. Put a drainage ditch around the house to keep the floor dry. Wet floors breed diseases.

- Housing or pens should be protected from dogs and other predators and located near your house to help prevent theft.

- Rams and ewes should have separate housing so that they can be kept apart for controlled and planned reeding. There should also be facilities for separating male and female lambs at weaning.

- Put water buckets or troughs, mineral, salt and feed boxes and hay mangers above ground so that they will not be soiled with urine and manure which transmit diseases. Also, soiled feed is wasted feed.

- Water troughs should be long enough so that several animals can drink at one time. Normally 1 foot (35 cm) per sheep is sufficient.

- Construct the facilities of local and inexpensive materials. It is surprising what can be used: discarded boxes, bamboo, old automobile tires, old cans and plastic containers, discarded lumber and tin and many others.

- Provide shade in the pastures.

HOUSING

SELF-TEACHING MANUAL IN HAIR SHEEP PRODUCTION