Najdi Sheep Fattening: Lamb Selection, Ration and Weighing

Fattening Najdi sheep works best when you start with healthy, weaned Najdi lambs with a big, straight frame, adapt them to concentrate over about two weeks, then raise the concentrate step by step while always keeping roughage, and weigh every two weeks. Because the Najdi is a large-framed breed, it usually needs a longer finishing period than smaller breeds to reach the weight and finish buyers expect.

The Najdi is one of the largest local breeds in Saudi Arabia and usually one of the most valuable, which makes it attractive for fattening. But an expensive animal also means that every mistake in buying, feeding or health costs more. This guide covers what is specific to the Najdi; for the general method that works for any lamb, see our 90-day lamb fattening plan.

Why fattening a Najdi is different

The Najdi has a long body, long legs and a large bone frame, and is usually recognised by its black body and white head. For a side-by-side view with Naimi and Harri, read our guide to Saudi sheep breeds. In practice, these traits mean three things for a fattening farm:

• It grows frame before it fills out. A Najdi lamb can look "tall and lean" halfway through the cycle. That is normal as long as its weight keeps climbing.
• It needs good, steady feeding. The breed shows its best under intensive or semi-intensive management. Cutting corners on feed shows quickly.
• The target weight is higher. Many buyers expect a Najdi to be heavier and bigger than a Naimi or Harri of the same age, so the cycle tends to run longer.

Choosing and receiving Najdi lambs

Fattening margins are made on the day you buy. When selecting lambs, look at:

• Age: weaned lambs that already eat feed well, with similar ages within each batch.
• Frame: a long, straight back, a wide chest and strong, straight legs. A lamb that looks stunted for its age rarely catches up.
• Health: bright eyes, clean nose, no diarrhoea, coughing or limping. Check the teeth to confirm age.
• Breed traits: head and body colour and ear length, because crossbreds are sometimes sold at purebred prices.
• Source: buy from known breeders when possible and record where each batch came from.

On arrival, put the batch in a separate pen, offer clean water and good alfalfa or Rhodes grass hay first, and hold back concentrate for a day or two while the lambs recover from transport. Agree a vaccination and parasite-control plan with your vet before the batch mixes with the rest of the flock, and record each lamb's number, tag colour and starting weight.

A staged ration: from adaptation to finishing

The core idea is simple: the concentrate share rises slowly, and roughage never disappears. The table below is an illustrative example of ration proportions, to be adjusted with a nutritionist for your feed quality, lamb weight and climate.

Split the concentrate into two or more meals, give enough trough space for every lamb to eat at the same time, and provide a sheep-specific mineral source. In summer, feed most of the ration early in the morning and in the evening. For how barley and alfalfa work together, see our barley and alfalfa ration guide.

Weigh every two weeks and sell by weight

Weighing is the only way to know whether a Najdi is putting on meat or just growing bone. Weigh every lamb on entry and then about every two weeks, and watch for three signals:

1. One lamb clearly behind its group: check teeth, feet and droppings, ask your vet, and separate it if needed.
2. A whole group that stops gaining: review the ration, water, shade and stocking density before adding more feed.
3. Gain slowing at the end of the cycle: each extra kilo now costs more feed, and it is usually time to sell.

Since 1 Muharram 1447, slaughter livestock in pens and public markets in Saudi Arabia must be sold by weight on approved scales, as explained in our guide to selling livestock by weight in Saudi Arabia. Your recorded weights become a direct pricing tool: you know each animal's weight before you reach the market and can compare the sale price per kilo with what each added kilo cost you.

Keeping Najdi lambs healthy during fattening

Rich rations and crowded pens raise some risks that need daily attention:

• Enterotoxemia (pulpy kidney): one of the main causes of sudden death in fattening lambs. Vaccination follows your vet's programme and the official ministry schedule.
• Acidosis (grain overload): caused by raising grain too fast or by a big meal after hunger. Signs include going off feed, soft droppings, dullness and sometimes bloating. Slow the ration down and call your vet straight away.
• Urinary stones in males on high-grain rations: plenty of water, enough roughage and a balanced mineral supply reduce the risk.
• Heat stress: a big frame does not mean better heat tolerance. Shade, ventilation and cool water are basics.

Any sudden death, lameness across the group or a pen that stops eating is a reason to call the vet immediately, not to wait.

Running a Najdi batch in Throf

A Najdi batch is a serious investment, so you need clear numbers from day one:

• Register each lamb with its number, tag colour, breed and source, and put the batch in one group (pen) at the fattening stage.
• Enter the starting weight, then the fortnightly weights. With a smart scale that reads the RFID tag, the weight is saved to the animal's history automatically, with no manual typing.
• Record meals so they are deducted from feed stock in kilos, and log vaccinations and treatments with reminders.
• At the end, Throf shows expenses, sales, net profit and cost per head, so you can compare this batch with the next one.

If you run a large fattening operation, our fattening and feedlot solution shows how to organise batches, workers and reports.