Vol. 9, Issue 1, Part K (2024)

A sheep belongs to the Animalia kingdom, Chordata division, Mammalia class, artiodactyl order, and Bovidae family. It was first domesticated between 11000 – 9000 BC in Southwest Asia. A sheep is a ruminant animal. It is an essential part of the livestock species due to its ability to utilize and convert forages and materials that are unfit for human consumption into end products such as meat and milk, which are essential dietary proteins for humans. (Elshazly & Youngs, 2019). According to the FAO database (Food, 2018), the world population of sheep is 1,173 million heads with 30% of the population in Africa. (Mazinani & Rude, 2020).

It is important for the provision of these products and uses; Wool, Meat, Skin and hides, Use in landscape management, science, and in medicine, dairy- production of milk and milk products such as cheese.