Although the profession of the shepherd is one of the professions of great importance for all countries' welfare, it has almost disappeared. While the number of small animals in Europe and in our country continues to increase, the enterprises have difficulty in finding shepherds to manage their flocks. For this reason, it decreases the number of animals in the enterprise.Despite the large number of sheep goats in our province, there are not enough shepherds to manage these flocks. There are shortcomings in the level of consciousness of our existing shepherds according to European standards. If we cannot make our shepherds more conscious, or if we cannot raise awareness of the shepherd profession, the yield of sheep livestock will decrease. Therefore, it will affect the national economy negatively. The aim of the project is to increase awareness of the shepherd profession and to increase the awareness of our existing shepherds to European standards and thus to increase the efficiency of sheep production, meat and dairy products. Objectives of the Project; 1- Make Shepherds to recognize the importance of the sector. 2- To increase the awareness of our shepherds about sheep and goat breeding. 3- To increase the shepherds' welfare levels 4- To increase animal welfare practices 5- To understand and develop new approaches in sheep and goat farms 6- Developing better strategies for better functioning of ovine enterprises 7-To ensure production in accordance with European Animal Welfare Criteria The project will be carried out with 7 partners. Two short-term learning teaching training activities will be organized in the project. The first of these trainings will be held in Serbia and the second in Greece. The aim of these trainings is to adopt new approaches to vocational education and to reflect this method to their professional skills. After these trainings, the professional competencies, knowledge and skills of the participants will increase. Also; this project will provide participants with the opportunity to use these new learning methods in their own enterprises, institutions and organizations. Within the scope of the project, local training courses will be organized to increase awareness of the shepherd profession and to increase the awareness level by reaching shepherds in the wider masses. These courses will include the reshaping of the European shepherd profession with the criteria of European sheep breeding, local sheep goat breeds, life skills in nature, and different shepherd cultures. An information platform will be created that shepherds will always reach to solve the problem of being social and socially remote. All information that may be needed by the shepherds will be presented to the shepherds with intellectual outputs such as guidance and e-learning programs. Thus, shepherds will obtain healthier and productive products to increase their knowledge and skills in the professional sense. In addition, these outputs will enable life, personal and professional development to be included in social life. 2 seminars will be organized with the participation of relevant stakeholders in Burdur and Greece. The aim of these seminars is to share and disseminate the generated intellectual outputs. In this way, shepherds will be encouraged to obtain better quality and productive products by using scientific methods instead of traditional methods of participants and participants.
1- To make the shepherds realize their importance in the sector 2- To increase the awareness of our shepherds about sheep and goat breeding 3- Raising the welfare of the shepherds 4- Increasing animal welfare practices in small cattle businesses 5- The adoption and implementation of new understanding in sheep and goat farms 6- Developing better strategies to improve the small cattle businesses 7- Ensuring production in accordance with European Animal Welfare criteria in enterprises 8- Improving the staff working in partner institutions in animal welfare and small cattle breeding and increasing institutional capacities.
Although the profession of shepherd is one of the professions of great importance for the welfare of all countries, it is on the verge of extinction today. While the increase in the number of sheep and goats continues in Europe and in our country, businesses are struggling to find conscious shepherds to manage their herds. That's why too resorts to reducing the number of animals in the enterprise. Despite the high number of sheep and goats in our province, there are not enough shepherds to manage these herds. There are deficiencies in the consciousness level of our existing shepherds according to European standards. If we can't make our shepherds more conscious or if we can't raise awareness about the shepherd's profession, the productivity of sheep and goats will decrease. Therefore, it will negatively affect the national economy. The Shepherd Bridge Project was developed to increase productivity in the sheep and goat farming sector and to raise awareness of shepherds and trainers on animal welfare. Shepherd Bridge Project was realized with a total of 7 partner institutions. Three of these institutions are public institutions, one is a non-governmental organization and the other three are universities. Within the scope of the project, 5 transnational meetings (2 of which are online), 2 training meetings, 2 training seminars and 2 Erasmusdays activities were held. In addition, 6 different intellectual outputs were produced with the participation of all partners.