Desert sheep thrive on ordinary cattle feed, turning fortunes for Kushtia farmer

Desert sheep are thriving in Kushtia's Mirpur Upazila on nothing more exotic than grass, husk, gram and maize, the same feed used for local cattle. 

Farmer Rakibul Islam has turned the venture into a profitable business without any special setup.

Rakibul, from Sahebnagar village in Bahalbaria Union, started out with two sheep in early 2024. 

His farm now holds 15 sheep of varying ages, six of which he has already sold for Tk 1.2 million combined.

He learned about sheep farming from an acquaintance who pointed him to a farm in Natore. 

After visiting and studying the setup, he bought a male and female sheep and brought them home to rear in his own yard.

The 36-year-old farmer says the animals need no special diet. They are fed at home in the morning before being let out to graze, while water and a little extra feed are given in the afternoon.

Farm worker Sujon Hossain said the sheep eat the same feed as goats, sheep and Garole sheep, and do not require large amounts of food. 

Regular cleaning of the shed and bathing the animals twice a month is enough to keep them healthy, he added.

According to Rakibul, a single sheep can give birth twice a year. A lamb fetches close to Tk 100,000 once it starts grazing, while a full-grown sheep sells for anywhere between Tk 200,000 and Tk 300,000 depending on its size and age.

Three of his 15 sheep are due to give birth shortly. He added that milk could still be collected from a mother sheep even after her lamb had been weaned.

Around a decade ago, Rakibul had set up a buffalo farm near his home along the Kushtia-Ishurdi Highway. 

But a brain haemorrhage in March 2023 left the left side of his body paralysed, forcing him to give it up.

After prolonged treatment brought partial recovery, he looked for work that demanded less physical strain and settled on sheep farming.

"I was deeply worried after falling ill," Rakibul said. "I'd put the money from selling the buffalo into building a house, so I was scared of losing that capital too. Then I found out about rearing sheep and started fresh."

Neighbour Moulana Imran Hossain said illness never held Rakibul back -- he had built himself a new income stream through sheep farming.

Mirpur Upazila Livestock Extension Officer Md Abdullahil Kafi said desert sheep could be reared at home without any extra investment, calling Rakibul's farm a working example.

"Unemployed young people could assess the potential locally and set up similar farms on a small scale," he added.