Sheep Farming Feasibility Study in the UAE: Fattening Maths

A sheep farming feasibility study for the UAE starts with the model: a ewe flock that produces lambs, or fattening batches of young stock sold within a few months. Either way you build it from capital, running costs led by bought-in feed, revenue, break-even and a sensitivity analysis. In fattening, profit comes down to three numbers: purchase price per head, daily weight gain and feed cost.

Many ezba owners in the UAE look at fattening because the cycle is short and fits the Ramadan and Eid al-Adha selling seasons. This article walks through the fattening formula with an example in dirhams, then summarises the maths for a breeding flock. If you are still planning the farm itself, start with our guide to a sheep farming project in the UAE.

Which model suits you?

There is no universally better model — only the one that fits your cash, your experience and how closely you can follow the farm.

The profit-per-head formula for fattening

Work it out per head, then multiply by the batch:

1. Sale weight = purchase weight + (daily gain × days on feed).
2. Revenue per head = sale weight × live price per kg.
3. Feed per head = daily intake in kg × days on feed × feed price per kg.
4. Profit per head = revenue − purchase price − feed − its share of vet care, labour, power and transport.
5. Batch profit = (profit per head × head sold) − cost of animals that died.

You influence every number here: buy at a sensible price, balance the ration to lift daily gain, prevent losses with isolation and vaccination, and sell at the right time. To split shared costs across animals correctly, see our guide to calculating cost per head.

Illustrative example: a batch of 200 lambs for 90 days

Illustrative example — replace every number with your own quotes. All prices, weights and rates here are teaching assumptions, not UAE market prices.

Revenue = 194 head × 43 kg × AED 18 = AED 150,156, so net profit for the batch is about AED 6,896. For simplicity, feed is counted for every animal for the whole period, which is a cautious assumption.

Break-even: 143,260 ÷ (194 × 43 = 8,342 kg) = about AED 17.2 per kg. If the sale price drops below that, the batch loses money.

Sensitivity: where the risk hides

The most dangerous number in this example is daily gain: a 25% drop wipes out the profit, because feed is eaten but the weight never arrives. Sale price and purchase price come next. That is why experienced feeders weigh a sample of the batch every two weeks and pull out poor growers early.

What about a breeding flock?

The revenue side is different: ewes × lambs per ewe × survival × sale weight × price per kg, minus females kept as replacements, plus culled ewes. Yearly costs include feeding the ewes all year — including the months they are not producing — plus labour, vet care and depreciation. We set out this model with full tables in our sheep project feasibility study guide; the same method works in dirhams.

Is sheep farming profitable in the UAE?

It can be, especially for farmers who sell into demand peaks and keep feed under control. The main levers:

• Smart buying: healthy animals from a known source, checked and isolated before they join the pens.
• A balanced ration: improving daily gain matters more than chasing the cheapest feed.
• Heat management: shade, airflow and cool water, because heat cuts intake and growth.
• Timing: finish the batch before Ramadan or Eid al-Adha rather than selling after the season.

Then compare assumptions with reality. On Throf you record weights, feed, expenses and sales, so actual daily gain, cost per head and net profit for each batch are visible. To see what Throf offers breeders in the country, visit the Throf UAE page.