Different breeds of sheep thrive on different types of grazing, so speak to farmers and discover which breeds best suit your land. There’s certainly plenty of choice – sheep have more breed types than any other farm animal.

Lush pasture should accommodate around four to five sheep per acre, so plan numbers accordingly. Be conservative in your estimate - when you start keeping sheep, it’s certainly better to have too few than too many.

Once you’ve decided how many sheep (and which kind) you want, the buying process can begin. At this stage you have two main choices – find a farmer breeding sheep for sale, or head to market. If possible, private purchase from a reputable breeder is by far the favourable option. You’ll be able to get valuable advice from the farmer, and can study the sheep in your own time in open fields – ask about the sheep’s medical and family history too.

Market purchases can be cheaper, but sheep bought in this manner come into contact with a lot of other sheep along the way - and disease can spread as a result.

To keep sheep on your land, you’ll need to ensure you have all the relevant paperwork. Legislation varies throughout the UK, but you’ll certainly need to register your property as an ‘agricultural holding’ – if it isn’t one already.

Record-keeping is also a mandatory aspect of keeping sheep, with regulations on livestock movement to adhere to at all times. For more information on the legalities to keeping sheep, visit the DEFRA website.

Sheep don’t have the most complex dietary requirements – in fact for most of the year they are content with grass, weeds and water. Indeed, one of the reasons they are so popular as farm animals is that they help to keep fields from overgrowing.

In winter though, when grass is frosty and short of nutrients, you’ll need to supplement their diet with hay and grain.

If you only keep a few sheep, it can be a good idea to give them a handful of ‘sheep nuts’ from a bucket each day. This routine helps to train the sheep, eventually allowing you to maneuver them without using a sheep dog.

If you’re planning on shearing your own sheep, courses are available (and advisable) to help show you the ropes. It’s a specialist skill and not something that should be taken on without training.

Shearing generally takes place in spring, as the fleece starts to lift. This helps in keeping sheep from overheating during warmer summer temperatures.

On a practical note, it is easier for lambs to feed from a ewe that’s been sheared – another good reason for shearing just prior to lambing season.