The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: OhLaLa on December 02, 2010, 02:36:07 pm
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Most of you guys have been through this already so can think of no better place to ask:
The snow has covered the grass. The sheep aren't even a year old yet so have never seen snow before - I've given them hay and hard feed but they won't touch either.
The hay is just inside their shelter by the entrance, and the hard feed next to it just outside.
They look at it, look at me. And bleat every time they see me throughout the day.
They've never eaten any hay that I've offered (ever), but they have eaten exactly the same hard feed.
What do I do?
PS: No older ewes to put in with them, and I'll get a hay metal hay rack fixed up for them at the weekend. No other hay available.
??????
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you must try some think else beet solige soon as they get there head round it they will be ok but they need food water a must at the mo
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Thanks. I'm updating my reply with the latest:
I have soaked sugar beet already made up for the horses, so I've mixed some of that in with the sheepnuts and had a little success. They ate for about a couple of minutes then walked off. Does this sound ok timing wise? One still won't touch it.
The only other green stuff I've got is alfalfa so I offered her some of that which she took a little of so I've mixed the rest into the leftover sheepnut/beet mix and popped it into their shelter out of the snow. They have fresh water, but they drink little of that at the best of times.
They seem to prefer sitting out in the snow so hope they find it.
Any advice re quantities of soaked sugar beet /alfalfa?
New shepherd in a bit of a tizz here...............
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When you say 'nuts' is it the big ewe nuts? I find smaller sheep/lambs don't eat those. We feed coarse sheep mix, with all sorts of squashed peas and grains as well as fine concentrate pencils in it, all flavoured with molasses. They love that. Something else you could try if you can find any is willow branches. Sounds weird but most breeds love them and they provide a good chew and some vitamins etc. Apple, ash and so on will do too.
Beyond that I can't think why they're not eating at least the hay. Have you fluffed it up? Are they scraping down through the snow to the grass? If not maybe you can show them how to do that by clearing a patch with a shovel. Then if they are interested sprinkle some coarse mix on top of the grass and see if they get the idea. Do they have a molasses lick?
Maybe they need an antidepressant ;D ;D
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If, like mine they are getting their noses therough the snow and eating the grass they are obviously not hungry! If starving they are not daft and will eat the hay esp,
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My sheep (and goats) love ivy branches/leaves at this time of year. I only give them a little, really just to keep them occupied, now that the snow is really quite deep. But they also still go through the snow with their heads, it makes for some funny faces all covered in snow! My ewes won't touch their straw at the moment, they get haylage (not ad lib, but a good feeder full) and mix too, but the lambs (still unsold as we are snowed in and I cannot get even the gates to open, nevermind to load shep into a trailer or drive down and untreated single lane road with a trailer.... they were supposed to go yesterday!) hoover it all up in no time! So they must be hungry!
Feel their backs if you are worried, also if they are hungry/thin you see them looking hollow just in front of their hips/backlegs.
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Hi Ohlala,
It must be very difficult for you -all that snow. We only have a smattering thats frozen on the ground.
I started my 9 month olds with Coarse mix (like what fleecewife said ;D) it started with when I wanted to do their feet - 'OH made me a sort off race with hurdles and gates to pen them in and as a 'there's a good lamb' I fed them a small handful of Coarse Mix - took a while before they would take from my hand; but I perservered. Now they only have to see the bucket and they come running.
I now mix rolled barley -coarse mix - ewe nuts - beetshreds ( these are soaked in a bucket overnight but are not as 'wet' as for horses, the ones on the top just damp, they don't like them if to wet - I add more shreds each day - mixing them up with the wetter bits in the bottom of the bucket). Makes your hand black!!!
They then get roughly 330grams each split into two feeds (cup your hands together) I add some thinly sliced windfall apples in with the evening feed. Other than that they have hay ad-lib and a lick.
I've also been clearing the brambles from the overgrown hedges and I have 3 helpers now who follow me around waiting for me to hold the thorny bit while they eat the leaves, and any Ivy trails they munch off as well. They have striped their 'scratching' Ash pole of bark.
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Thanks for the replies guys.
Raced out this morning as not a sheep to be seen. Snowed heavily overnight, little black noses popped up out of the snow at the rattle of the feed bucket (the food I left last night was untouched). They came over and ate for couple mins max, just that one ewe refuses to touch it now.
Your replies make a lot of sense, if only I could get some of the stuff you mention: The feed merchants don't stock anything but the 'nuts' - but can't get to them now anyway. Will see if they will order it in when the roads are cleared and I can make the journey (but I won't need it once the grass back?), and the only licks available are the large sheep mineral licks - have got one of those in their shelter.
I considered putting hurdles around their shelter to keep them by it and the food, but suspect that might just stop them finding whatever green they can rather than encourage them to eat the hay/hard feed?
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Can these nuts be ground down to smaller pieces for them or is it just they don't like the taste? Can you clear the snow for them to let them see the grass underneath - even just a little bit?
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The nuts are hard, I think they would destroy the machine.
So, next job is get them some apple wood logs out of the wood store, rattle that feed bucket again, refluff the hay - and then start scraping snow (it's above my knees)........
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Hi there OhLaLa Fresh branches with 1 to 3 years growth are what they need, while there is still juice in them. It was just a suggestion in case you have some you can prune easily. For the concentrates, sheep need particular gut flora to be able to digest grains and other stuff in them and it takes them a while to build the flora up. For this reason it is best to give them a small amount of concentrates every day through the winter against the time such as now when they will have to eat larger quantities as nothing else is available. I think many people have been caught out by this sudden severe weather, with hoggs which don't know what this new food is.
The hard frosts have now effectively killed the grass. It needs day and night temps above 7 degrees C for grass to start growing again so they will need hay plus small quantities of concentrates from now until you can see fresh grass growth in your area.
Because your snow is so deep they won't be able to scrape down to grass. Ours manage until it's a foot or so deep but after that they just rely on hay and whatever else we give them, plus whatever they can stretch up to in the hedges. Our black sheep currently all have white faces with the snow which has stuck to them from ferreting around below the surface.
Something else we give our sheep - the older ones - is digestive biscuits. Many people will throw up their hands in horror at this, but sometimes they will stimulate the appetite when nothing else will. Your hoggs won't know what they are though so would ignore them too. A way round that is to push small pieces into their mouths, behind their front teeth, so they get the taste. After that they will come for them. Not large amounts, just tidbits to perk them up.
Do you have any brassicas in your garden? The outer leaves of those usually go down a treat too, and taking them doesn't stop your crop.
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Thank you so much for the good ideas - I've a good amount of (droopy frosted) kale - so, right, taking that out next!
I'd already put a couple of logs into the shelter before I read your reply - (fresh applewood? oh silly me) - but they took an interest in what I was doing (maybe the apply smell) in there and started to pick at the food. The none eater has nibbled too thankfully, and one was tucking in prob a bit too much. Just too much one way or the other when these things happen isn't it? Anyhow, about two scoops of food in there total, will see how much went when I go back out shortly with the kale.
Suspect the orchard will be the next place to visit on the list, about 30+ trees out there so should be ok to find a branch or two (lets look on the bright side - they need a prune anyhow). Camera needed to catch the moment all that snow falls on top of me when I reach up with the saw to prune.
I've cleared a route to their water, quite a few clumps of grass poking up along the way.
And I happen to have a packet of digestive biccies to hand so will take those out as well........
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I just put porridge out for my young ducks - with poultry spice in it. They wouldn't touch it. even Ma and Pa were reluctant so I threw some pellets on top and they started but then went off to bathe. So the hens got extra. Will try the porridge tomorrow with honey instead. You just have to try everything this weather to keep your animals safe, don't you. Them and the dogs all got warm water with oil in it but I'm onto expensive virgin olive oil after that so I'd better get out soon. ::)
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put a little warm water with there nuts and it should soften them like chuck food. why can't you get a corse mix were you are.
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I don't know why no coarse mix, never asked. Maybe just no demand for it.
Pulled an armful of Kale leafs off plants so that's on top of the hay.
Thanks for your time in replying - I know a lot of you guys have it much worse than me.
:bouquet:
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Hi! Might be a bit late with this, but did you see my post a bit further down about my ewe lambs refusing to eat their hay? Its now been a week since the snow has been on the ground and they have, at last, started to eat it, but it took some persuasion. I kept putting it in different places and turning it to get the scent to them, anything I could think of to tempt them, but we got there in the end. However mine have been eating ewe nuts like their life depended on it. I tried porridge earlier in the week as I was mixing it up for the chickens. They turned their noses up at that - heaven knows why, I thought I was giving them a real treat!! Basically, they are young, don't know what to make of all this 'foreign' stuff we are giving them, and need time to get used to winter feeding when there's no grass available. Hows it going with yours now? :wave:
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My ewe lambs will eat a bit of hay but they're not really keen. The ewes on the other hand, are wolfing it down. I wish they'd hold back a bit!
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They refuse to eat hay. Refuse to eat kale (they gave it a try , I think they would have eaten it if still in ground to pull on, but they found it unpalatable as a 'leaf').
This morning their galvanised trough had defrosted enough to tip the huge ice block out of it which was filling it so I put their hard feed in there (as had done prior to the snow arriving) and bingo - eating it just fine. It appears they didn't approve of the feed buckets.
Grass appearing again now, so panic over.........
:sheep: ::)
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I had no idea sheep were so fickle!
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Sheep are definitely fussier than children! Mine pick the best bits of hay and will only eat nuts etc if the buckets/trough are scrupulously clean. I forgot to turn over yesterday and one had a bit of bird poo in it and they flatly refused to eat anything out of it!
It was easier when I had the horse as they were too worried about her eating their grub and would scoff everything including her dengie if allowed!
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They aren't all fussy. Mine will eat anything. At the moment they are eating a lot of straw while they can't get to the grass. They also browse on bushes & eat any sort of hay evem if it looks a bit dubious. I think they think they are goats
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My orphan lambs are a wee bit fussy - beg at every opportunity then sleep on the hay - I have Ready Grass/Grass On (dried grass in a big bale) as a treat for the goat now and again and tipped a bucket of that over the hay and that got mine going - maybe worth a go
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Mine certainly aren't fussy - they keep breaking into the chicken run to eat the chicken feed - they even lick the spilled food off fresh chicken poop - Urgh!
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Mine are also fussy. They would eat nuts from a bucket but now I've bought them a trough they can't seem to fancy them. Do you pander to them or ignore them?
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Sylvia - depends on their condition. If they are in good condition any way, I would leave them to it, but empty the troughs after a while, otherwise the crows will c**p all over them, and they fill up with water/snow.
My ewes are in good condition and will not eat their afternoon straw (but eat their nuts and haylage in the morning), but the lambs are polishing off anything, including their straw. But we have more than 2" of snow here now for over a week!
Also the lambs are much more vocal, I find I have to close my ears - whenever they hear me outside the baaa-ing starts!
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Thank you Anke - close my ears, must do that - I hear the lambs and automatically throw more hay over to their pile, then noticed it was a pile so I think their getting picky and just shouting when they see me - will bowl me over for crunchies in the evening but spend more time sleeping on their hay pile than eating it - so I think the conclusion is their spoilt!!! We do have about 2 ft of snow though so I don't want them to be hungry -- rock and a hard place springs to mind
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Well I was having the same battle with 3 lambs and I have sadly lost. 2 I can understand as they just didn't have the same condition as the other lambs and for love nor money could I get them to eat hay but the other looked in good condition but when I came back from getting the food at the weekend she had past away (it was -12) I have a feeling that the cold had a role to play as well as the battle with there condition.
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That's quite sad, but if they weren't in good condition there is not much you can do with this cold weather just now. I have a 12 year old ewe, she is in with the lambs as I really do not want her to see the tup again (she would if she could!), and check every morning if she is still there, so far so good she is doing ok. She is a shetland, tough as old boots. No teeth left - and she loves toast. I can hand feed her with no danger of getting my fingers crunched too!
If my lambs wouldn't eat their haylage within half an hour I will take it away again (and give to the ones that eat it), mine have it in feeders and I do throw a bit onto clean snow - all is gone very soon. It is strange I never taught them about hay, so don't know why yours wouldn't pick it up. I did feed concnetrate to the lambs and ewes right after they were born, as we did not have good grass until the end of April, so they learnt to trough feed early on. I think I had a hayfeeder in there too, but can't remember.