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Sheep farming, whether for meat or wool, has always been an essential component in diversifying farming systems, particularly in exploiting land unsuitable for arable crops. It has been estimated that there are over 1 billion sheep around the globe, over 8 million tonnes of sheep meat consumed each year and over 2 million tonnes of wool produced. Whilst China and India are among the largest producers and consumers of sheep meat, countries such as Australia, New Zealand and the UK are the largest exporters. Overall demand for meat in particular is rising, driven particularly by China and other Asian countries, and could reach as much as 15 million tonnes by 2019 according to FAO estimates. Sheep farming faces a range of challenges in meeting demand. There is an ongoing threat both from endemic and more exotic diseases. Consumer expectations about nutritional and sensory quality have never been higher. There is also greater concern about the environmental impact of animal production and the need to minimise that impact. In addition, consumers are increasingly concerned about animal welfare issues. There is a wealth of research to address these challenges, from the increasing use of genetics to improve breeding and predict meat quality to improving animal nutrition and disease management in flocks, whether to make farming more efficient, improve its environmental sustainability or animal welfare. This volume seeks to summarise the key developments in research and provide a standard reference for animal science researchers.
