The updated fifth edition of the classic best-selling guide to raising sheep now features full-color photography and completely updated information for a new generation of small-scale farmers and homesteaders.

Preface 1: Starting with Sheep Some Background on Sheep - Sheep Farming Today - Behavior - Breeds - Buying Sheep - Home at Last 2: Breeding and Breeds Breeding and Genetics - Genetic Diversity and Sheep Breeds - Individual Breeds 3: Pasture, Fences, and Facilities Pasture - Fencing - Facilities 4: Herding Dogs Traits of Herding Dogs - Breeds - Selecting a Dog - Training - Dog Trials 5: Protecting against Predators Managing for Predators - Guardian Animals 6: Feeds and Feeding Digestion - Nutrients - Feeding Practices - Types of Feed 7: General Health Considerations Healthy Strategies - Recognizing Sick Sheep - Alternative Health Practices - Natural Defenses - Causes of Illness in Sheep - Parasites - Other Disorders of Sheep - Drugs for Sheep 8: Problems of Rams, Ewes, and Lambs Problems with Rams - Disorders in Ewes - Lamb Problems 9: Flock Management Successful Breeding - The Ram - Ewes 10: Lambing Preparation for Lambing - The Lambing Process - After Lambing - Problems with Newborn Lambs - Orphan Lambs - Care of Baby Lambs 11: Products and Marketing Merchandising to Reach Your Market - Wool - Meat and Milk - Pelts - The Live-Animal Business - Odds and Ends - Recipes 12: Showing Sheep Kinds of Shows - Show Classes - Training Sheep - Fitting - Show Ring Strategies 13: Records and Animal Identification National Sheep Improvement Program - Computer Software and Spreadsheets - Sample Record Charts Appendixes Lambing Calendar Feed Requirements Composition of Common Feedstuffs Resources Glossary Metric Conversion Charts Index