Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Feed How Much  (Read 4544 times)

Power Poultry

  • Joined Sep 2010
  • Kings Lynn Norfolk
Feed How Much
« on: September 29, 2010, 08:48:53 am »
My vet came out on Monday to go over the new Shetland sheep and said they need a bit of weight

How much do you think of hard feed I should give them she said a whole bucket a day between them But looking in my sheep book you only feed .30 kilo to a ewe with twins.

Whole bucket would be 2kilo each


There is only 6 ewes and 2 rams

They have a huge amount of grass to eat as well.

Help

Thanks

Karen

lachlanandmarcus

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Feed How Much
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2010, 09:02:56 am »
Wow thats unusual, normally Shetlands live on fresh air!

 First things that occur to me are, have they been wormed (I dont do it routinely but it could cause poor condition if they have worms), and are they poor before they have had your grass (in which case they will prob pick up on that alone). Also I would get a mineral block like a Rockies one, or maybe if they need a boost one of the molassed ones.

If you did feed then I use (only when theres snow!) for about that number of my Shetlands a small mini blue bucket the size of a childs sandcastle bucket (they are blue and sold in our agric store for poultry use). It amounts to about a fistful each at most, and got ours through 3 months of solid snow  and minus 20s temperatures in good condition.

If you have any pics of the sheep, that would be lovely!

kanisha

  • Joined Dec 2007
    • Spered Breizh Ouessants
    • Facebook
Re: Feed How Much
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2010, 09:07:39 am »
vets often aren't used to feeling the lighter weights of a shetland. you should be able to feel the geography unlike some commercials.
Ravelry Group: - Ouessants & Company

Power Poultry

  • Joined Sep 2010
  • Kings Lynn Norfolk
Re: Feed How Much
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2010, 09:16:00 am »
Worming has been done was done the day we picked them up from a worm check.

They dont look under wieght just need a little.

I will work on .30 kilo I think or i will have very fat sheep

They did not have much grass and the grass they have now is fen land so very rich.

Will get some images of the guys on for you all to see

They love coming up for stratches and are bucket trained the ram in halter trained so very easy to handle.

Thank you guys

humphreymctush

  • Joined Jul 2010
  • orkney
Re: Feed How Much
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2010, 10:49:32 am »
They shouldnt need any concentrates this time of year. They are probably thin because they have been feeding lambs. If you have put them on good grass they are sure to gain weight ready for tupping. You definately dont want them too fat. The shetland is bred to do without supplimentry feeding and to survive on poor grazing. When they are pregnant you could get them scanned and give the ones with twins some concentrates in late pregnancy.

Power Poultry

  • Joined Sep 2010
  • Kings Lynn Norfolk
Re: Feed How Much
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2010, 10:58:24 am »
I have cut it right down to just a handfull each I gave them half a bucket between them over two feeds as vet said and this morning all have runny poos,

I know this happens with horses put on rich grass not sure about sheep so could it be the mix of nuts and rich grass???

Got the vet back Friday to do a training morning on feet trim and care of them.

Hermit

  • Joined Feb 2010
Re: Feed How Much
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2010, 12:39:34 pm »
Shetlands this time of year should be in excellent condition from summer!. If they have been kept on crap and not wormed they will be in bad condition though. Give them a few weeks after being wormed to see how weight is progressing and ask the vet about deficiencies such as selenium and cobalt(with lack of, Shetlands can be affected  badly as most folk think they can live on crap 24/7 365 days a year.).  New grass and a new diet of nuts will lead to poops in most sheep. It sounds a matter of time but would not give nuts as well as a upgrade in grass at the same time. Shetlands do not birth well if overweight either.
« Last Edit: September 29, 2010, 12:41:33 pm by Hermit »

Power Poultry

  • Joined Sep 2010
  • Kings Lynn Norfolk
Re: Feed How Much
« Reply #7 on: September 29, 2010, 01:26:45 pm »
Thank you guys.

Will give them a few weeks with just the new grass it has a lot of clover in it we had it seeded when we first moved here 10 years ago with Newmarket grass seed for horses so very rich.

We have also kept the fields fertilized and weedkilled every 2 years as only had one shetland on it over the past 2 years 2 acre paddock for little man has been way to much for him.

We use to have thoughbreds but there all gone now so the sheep are taking there place. we are strip grassing them on 150M at a time.

But unlike the horses no dent made init at all yet.

This is going to a steep learning curve.


Thanks

Karen

andywalt

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • kent
  • observe react administer enjoy !!
    • photos
Re: Feed How Much
« Reply #8 on: September 29, 2010, 05:01:36 pm »
Nice lot of information there, im on a learning curve too, its my first year with sheep, in the past ive managed cattle, so I am having to gen up very quickly with all the general info which I am really enjoying, my wife thinks im totally mad!! but she will enjoy the lambs in Feb,
anyway enjoy the moment......Baaaaaaaaaaaa ;D ;D ;D ;D
Suffolk x romneys and Texel X with Romney Tup, Shetlands and Southdown Tup

 

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