An analysis of the determinants of sheep breeding with an example of a small farm in the Działoszyce District
The Działoszyce District (Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship) with its good environmental conditions has great potential for the development of agriculture, especially small-ruminant keeping. The research was based on a farm located in the northeastern part of the district. The farm covers about 20 ha and possesses both arable land and permanent pastures necessary for sheep raising. The area of cultivated crops depends largely on the number of raised animals. This farm deals only with sheep production, specializing in breeding material and sale of lambs for fattening. In order to improve the profitability of the farm it is planned to increase the sheep population and introduce a system of common sheep-grazing. Large areas of wasteland in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, particularly in its northern part, create favorable conditions for the development of pastoral activity. Bringing the fallow land commonly into cultivation can contribute to increasing the sheep stock and improving the profitability of sheep breeding