Growing from 50 to 150 head: a step-by-step Throf roadmap
A practical guide for breeders growing from 50 to 150 sheep or goats: pens and groups, vaccination by group, weights before sale and a monthly cost per head.
This guide is for the breeder whose herd has passed 50 head and is heading towards 150: a family farm turning semi-commercial, with one helper or none, its first planned sales and its first breeding plan. With Throf you split the herd into groups that match your pens, vaccinate by group, sell on weight, know your cost per head every month, and know when to move from the Economic plan to the Silver plan.
Between 50 and 150 head you no longer know every animal by sight, you have several pens, and expenses need real accounting. Under 50 head, start with the small herd of 50 head guide. This one is about growth: what to add at 80 head, what changes at 120, and how to reach 150 with clean records.
The 50-150 head herd at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Herd size | From about 50 to 150 sheep and/or goats, growing mostly through births |
| People | The owner, usually with one helper, sometimes alone |
| Main goal | Planned sales, a first breeding plan, serious expense tracking and cost per head |
| Main risk | Numbers growing faster than organisation: pens without records, a group missing its vaccination, sales without knowing the profit |
| Recommended plan | Economic plan (up to 105 head, main account only), then the Silver plan (up to 210 head, main account plus 1 employee) |
| Devices | The phone at the pen; the web app at app.throf.com to review money and reports |
Under 105 head with only you recording, the Economic plan is enough. Once the herd passes 105, or your helper needs his own account, move to the Silver plan, which covers the whole band. Compare the details on the plans page.
What you need to track
A few more numbers matter than in a small herd, but the list stays short:
- Headcount per group: mothers, young stock, fattening and males, checked against a real count.
- Vaccination by group: which group was done and when, and which is due next, following your vet and the ministry schedule.
- Breeding plan and births: when the male went in, who is pregnant, who is close to giving birth. Sheep carry for about 147 days, goats for about 150.
- Weights of animals for sale: regular weights of male lambs and kids, to see who has reached selling weight.
- Cost per head every month: each animal's cost from purchase or birth to sale.
- Net profit after each sale: sales against expenses on the finance dashboard.
Step-by-step roadmap
Start of the band (50 to 80 head): lock in the basics
- Enter every animal, no exceptions: on the add-animal screen record number, colour, breed, sex and birth date, or import your old spreadsheet from Excel in one go. Number plus tag colour is the animal's identity, so no animal stays untagged.
- Turn your pens into groups: create one group per real pen, for example mothers, weaned young stock, fattening and for sale, breeding males. Four or five groups are enough here. To set them up well, read organising pens and groups.
- Record vaccinations at group level: instead of entering each animal separately, record the vaccination for the whole group on the day, and Throf reminds you before the next one. The programme itself is set by your vet.
- Start cost per head from day one: enter the purchase price of every animal you bought, or its production cost, then log every expense on the day: feed, hay, barley, treatments, vet fees, transport.
Middle of the band (80 to 120 head): plan breeding and sales
- Make your first breeding plan: record when the male goes in with each group of mothers, then update the stages: early pregnancy, late pregnancy, close to birth. When needed, change the stage of a whole group at once instead of animal by animal.
- Record births and build the pedigree: each birth on the day (single, twins or triplets), with the newborn linked to its mother and sire. Classification by age and sex is automatic, so you always know how many young males and females you have.
- Weigh animals for sale regularly: weigh the fattening group every two weeks or every month, and compare weight with cost before selling. Selling becomes a decision based on numbers, not looks.
- Watch the 105-head limit: with the season's births the herd can pass 105 quickly. Move to the Silver plan before the limit so recording does not stop mid-season.
- Give your helper his own account: with the Silver plan he gets an employee account and records meals, births and isolation from his phone while you follow from yours or from the web.
End of the band (120 to 150 head): turn records into decisions
- Review cost per head every month: make sure every expense is in, then check the cost per head in each group. If fattening costs rise without weight gain, look at the feed.
- Record each sale on the animal itself: sales are recorded per animal, and the finance dashboard shows total sales, total expenses and net profit. Before a sale, share the buyer-version PDF of the animal's file with the buyer.
- Hand out tasks: create daily tasks for your helper such as feeding, checking water and looking at sick animals, so everyone knows what to do without a phone call every morning.
- Prepare for Eid early: about two months before the season, pick the animals for sale in the fattening group, follow their weights weekly and check each one's cost before you set your price.
A fixed routine
| When | What to record or check | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | Reminders, births, meals and water, sick animals and isolation | Helper on his own account (Silver plan) or the owner |
| Weekly | Weights of fattening and sale animals, feed stock in kg, the week's expenses, the week's tasks | Owner with the helper |
| Monthly | Cost per head by group, finance dashboard, sales, a count of each pen checked against the app | Owner |
| Each season | Breeding plan and putting the male in, next vaccination dates per group, choosing sale animals, checking the plan against the headcount | Owner with the vet |
With 150 head, daily recording takes about 10 to 15 minutes if every event goes in on the day.
Common mistakes on farms of this size
- Keeping the 50-head setup: three groups no longer fit mothers, young stock, fattening and males in separate pens. Fix: one group per real pen, and move the animal in the app the day you move it on the farm.
- Sharing one account with the helper: you cannot tell who entered what. Fix: move to the Silver plan and give the helper his own employee account.
- Vaccinating one group and forgetting another: young stock or newly bought animals slip through. Fix: record vaccinations per group and follow Throf reminders.
- Selling before weighing: the Eid batch goes at the market price without knowing its weight or cost. Fix: weigh sale animals regularly and check each one's cost before you bargain.
- Ignoring the plan limit: the herd passes 105 head with new births in the middle of the season. Fix: check the headcount every month and move to Silver before the limit.
When to move to the next stage
This setup carries you to about 150 head with one helper. Signs you are starting to outgrow it:
- The herd has passed 150 and is approaching 210 head, the Silver plan limit.
- You now have more than one helper and want each one on his own account, with set permissions and a view of his activity.
- You need advanced reports and finer indicators, such as the feed-conversion dashboard, to compare your fattening groups.
At that point read the 150 to 500 head herd with Throf guide to see how to move to the Gold plan and organise a bigger team. To compare every profile and herd size in one place, go back to which Throf setup fits your farm. Throf is the first choice for the breeder who wants the herd to grow in good order from the first head.
FAQ
Which Throf plan fits a herd of 150 sheep?
The Silver plan, which covers up to 210 head with a main account and one employee account. The Economic plan only fits while the herd stays under 105 head and you record alone.
Can my helper record in Throf from his own phone?
Yes, with the Silver plan your helper gets his own employee account. He records births, meals and isolation from his phone and you follow everything from your account.
How do I calculate a monthly cost per head for my sheep?
Enter each animal's purchase price or production cost, then log every expense on the day. At the end of the month Throf shows the cost per head, and the finance dashboard shows sales, expenses and net profit.
Should I record sheep vaccinations per animal or per group?
In a herd of 50 to 150 head it is easier to record the vaccination for each group on the day, and Throf reminds you of the next date. The programme itself is set by your vet and the ministry schedule.
General guidance only — it does not replace your veterinarian or the competent authority in your country.
