Melanie Barkley, Senior Extension Educator: Livestock, Penn State Extension
Dr. Jayson K. Harper, Director, Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center
Lynn Kime, Former Senior Extension Associate, Penn State University
David Hartman, Former Extension Educator: Livestock, Penn State University
(Previously published with Penn State Extension: January 4, 2023)
Sheep 
are ideally suited to small-scale and part-time farming operations in Pennsylvania due to their adaptability and nutritional versatility. Sheep can be fed a diet high in concentrates (similar to swine) or solely a forage diet. Furthermore, marketing opportunities are plentiful in the northeastern United States. Lambs can be marketed at any age and often vary in weight from 40 to 160 pounds, depending on the time of year and market demand. This publication will focus on accelerated production practices to take advantage of both off-season and holiday markets.
There are about 3,800 sheep producers in Pennsylvania with around 80,000 ewes, rams, and replacement