The UK sheep industry is one of the largest sheep meat producers in the world. The author have drawn on their extensive contact with this industry to write a comprehensive handbook on sheep breeding, production systems and marketing. The book emphasises that a planned approach to sheep production is a necessary prerequisite for profitable production. This planned approach should incorporate up-to-date technical knowledge in conjunction with more traditional husbandry skills and an understanding of the market for the product. The book draws heavily on the latest information from the Meat and Livestock Commission, whose purpose is improving the efficiency of production and quality of meat. A major part of the book will concentrate on those factors which contribute to economic production - ewe output, lamb returns including carcase quality, grassland management, breeding for characters of economic importance, ewe and ram replacement policies, feeding, planned flock health and production systems.