Small breeding sheep flock

Other farmers and smallholders buying breeding stock, livestock markets and dealers, and buyers wanting lambs for meat.

Income comes mainly from selling lambs and surplus ewes, usually in a few seasonal batches. Prices move through the year, so keep a cash buffer for feed, vet bills and bad months.

• Confident handling sheep
• Basic animal health and lambing know-how
• Reliable daily routine, including early mornings and weekends
• Negotiating prices with buyers

• Registering your land as a holding and getting a flock number before animals arrive. Check the process with your national rural agency
• Tagging and movement reporting rules, which differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Animal welfare law and vet costs, including lambing problems and disease risks such as flystrike
• Insurance, such as public liability and cover for livestock, fencing and equipment
• Short grazing agreements. Check you have enough security of tenure to keep a flock
• Livestock prices vary a lot, so don't count on steady monthly income

Startup costs are typically estimated at around £3,000 to £15,000, depending on flock size, grazing arrangements, fencing and equipment. Vet costs and insurance are also worth budgeting for.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around £400 to £2,000, depending on flock size and what you sell. Livestock prices vary a lot, so don't count on steady monthly income.

Check how to register your land as a holding and get a flock number before animals arrive. Tagging and movement reporting rules differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so check your nation's requirements.