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Karl Codner, a former cattle farmer in Jamaica, who is now reaping some success rearing goats mainly for meat, is also experimenting with sheep.

Codner said this was motivated by the "hell of a demand for lamb", not just in the hotel sector, but also among housewives who are taking to the meat.

The four sheep on his farm, including a four-month-old that was born there, are all doing well. They are of the Dowper breed - of South African origin - bred from a cross between the Suffolk and Persian Black Head, and are, therefore, ideally suited for tropical climes.

Using a tagging system and home-made feed mix means that the sheep are not a strain on the goat farm operation, despite some fundamental differences between both ruminants. While their diets are basically the same, goats feeding in the wild tend to browse, while sheep graze - cropping the plant much closer to the ground. The goats are considered 'top' feeders for their tendency to reach up to feed from trees, which the sheep tend not to do.

Another significant difference is the turnaround time in favour of the sheep, which grow at a much faster rate and which also have more production potential in terms of their breeding cycle, said Codner. Goats wean their young before mating, while sheep still mate while nursing.

- Christopher Serju