[Bionic]

My ewes are on ewe nuts and all the lambs are on creep but its getting to the stage where they are eating each others food. The lambs are big and the opening for their creep area needs to be bigger too which means the shorn ewes can now get in there also.
I don't mind them eating each others food but I have 2 ram lambs and know they shouldn't be eating the ewe nuts.
Is there a food that they can all eat?

[zarzar]

hi we feed all ours badminton country mix as they can all eat it with not effects to the boys

[SallyintNorth]

Many if not most feed merchants make a 16% 'stock blend' which is safe for all stock - check with your local suppliers

[Pedwardine]

As Sally says and it's also called 'Coarse Mix'. Alternatively some may stock Hogget 14% which is also suitable for all.

[smudger]

I wouldn't give a ewe mix, something in it which can give them bladder stones or something (urea?). MV here said to use lamb finisher as being all that they stock for feeding rams. Harpers do a mix (Harvest super lamb mix) which can be used by all sheep.  Just wondering why you are feeding, I'm let mine get on with eating the grass. Meat should taste better too.

[Bionic]

Just wondering why you are feeding, I'm let mine get on with eating the grass. Meat should taste better too.

I have been feeding them but lately reduced it right down to small rations. I am now at the end of the creep feed and want to continue with something to keep them friendly and coming to the bucket so that I can get them in easier when work needs to be done.
Hopefully none of mine will be going for meat.

[shygirl]

if you have grass, i wouldnt bother feeding them. once you have trained them to the bucket , they dont forget. ours were all bucket trained for catching and handling, but only got fed when i needed them (after the initial training). but mine were natives so only needed grass/haylage.

[Pedwardine]

Like Bionic we always have some feed on hand for gathering in and such (oh and perhaps spoiling from time to time  )

[Backinwellies]

I rang P & C about this last week ..... was told special additives for ram lambs are being withdrawn .... just ensure salt lick and lots water available .......... i use their 'ruminant course mix'

[VSS]

Grass.....

but if feel you must feed them you could look at ram mixes, but they tend to be very expensive. Another option would be lamb fattening rations. These are usually OK for tup lambs, but check the label to make sure. Sugar beet is another possibility.

[SteveHants]

Grass.....

This.

[Fleecewife]

I agree Sally that they really don't need any feed at all beyond grass.  If you will be keeping your males then you don't need them to 'fatten' - in fact you don't want them to fatten.  Same with the ewes - you want them to be in good condition by tupping time but not overfat which they will become with added feed on top of rich summer grass.
For bringing them in, we use Carr's Champion tup, but only enough to make a bucket rattle ie a tiny hand-not-full, and definitely not every day. It's what we feed the whole flock in winter as the ewes don't need a higher protein content than this coarse mix supplies, being primitives, and they don't need much even then.  The tups and non-breeding ewes only get concentrates when there's snow lying - they get ad lib hay and branches, and whatever grass there is left.
  Negative reinforcement works by not always giving the reward and is as successful as positive reinforcement, so don't worry that they will forget the bucket rattle - sheep don't forget 
 
I can't remember what breed your sheep are, but I'm surprised they still come for the dry feed - ours just aren't interested.

[shygirl]

if you are needing the "bucket rattle" go for nuts rather than coarse mix, as they hear it from a longer distance.

[Fleecewife]

if you are needing the "bucket rattle" go for nuts rather than coarse mix, as they hear it from a longer distance.

But then the tups can't eat it. Ours respond to an empty bucket as long as it's the small blue one.  The lookout sheep will spot it and let the others know, then stand back for the charge (unless we're trying to round them up when they ignore it)

[funkyfish]

An intermittent reinforcement schedule will maintain a behaviour better than a constant one. So occasionally feeding them will make them better at coming to the bucket. Its why gambling is addictive.  The worst thing that happens is you don't get what you want.  This is very different to negative reinforcement which is the taking away of something you want.