Designing a Sheep Shed

One of the most common asked questions that I receive on a weekly basis revolves around the topic of indoor housing options for sheep and goats. Unfortunately, resources here in the United States are limited on this subject. Thankfully, other shepherds from around the world have already investigated this need. Although from the perspective on an Irish sheep system, Mr. Edward Egan of Teagasc nicely outlines the top 10 considerations involved in building or refurbishing an existing facility used to house sheep. Because of resources and climatic conditions here in Ohio, not all of the presented information may apply to our producers. However, this video does outline important factors such as feeding and floor space allotments, ventilation, and feeding system that can be used as you begin designing your new system. A word of caution, much of the information is presented in metric measurements, but don’t worry. Pause your video and do the conversions. I think that many of you will find these values of interest as they may be able to be used to improve  your current system. If nothing else, enjoy 10 minutes of pictures capturing alternative sheep production systems.