Sheep Shed

an enclosure for sheep. There are sheds that house animals of both sexes and of various age groups and others for sheep of the same sex and age. The former type of shed is usually constructed on farms with a small stock of sheep (300-500 head) and is divided inside into compartments to separate the rams, ewes, and lambs. The latter type is used for 800–1,000 ewes or for 1,000–1,200 lambs or wethers. Sheep sheds are rectangular, L-shaped, or U-shaped, with the last being the most common. The pens are usually divided internally into several sections. In sheds for winter lambing, the lambing pen, or section set aside for ewes with newborn lambs, is heated (winter shelter). In sheds for pedigree sheep, the winter shelter has a birth section and a veterinary dispensary. Sheep sheds have a corral on the southern end. Large sheds are equipped with forced ventilation and automatic waterers; feed distribution and manure collection is mechanized. In some southern regions, sheep sheds consisting of roofs or covered corrals enclosed by walls on three sides are built to shelter the animals from inclement weather.