The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Penninehillbilly on April 03, 2019, 01:10:13 am
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A 2yr old lambed on Monday, wasn't expecting it yet, only noticed on Sunday her udder had suddenly filled. So she hasn't been getting a feed ration, only a good handful of ewe nuts every couple of days.
So she had twin boys. Because one esp seemed a bit slow (I did watch him feed), and a bit of wet weather forecast, I've put them inside for a few days. Lambs much livelier now.
Obviously hay and water ad lib, but how much ewe nuts should she be having.?
Mum is a weird mix, her dam was supposed to be swaley, but I think an hebridean type got with her, and sire was a zwarble x. So about swaley size.
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I always feed in 'mug full'' units, I usually give two mug full's to ewes post lambing if twins, singles get one.
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My ewes with twins were having about 600g per day whilst still in, when they went out it was about 350-400g.
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If Mum seems to have plenty of condition and milk, that size and part Zwartbles, indoors, with twins, I’d give two good double handfuls (scoop using both my hands) twice a day, if she will eat that much. If they’re all doing well you can probably halve it (feed once a day) when she’s back outside; grass is so much more nutritious than hay!
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Depends on how much grass and the quality , and the condition of the ewe . Ad lib hay and water only I would be increasing amounts of nuts every couple of days getting up to a kilo or more . The lambs demand for milk increases dramatically as they grow and the ewes milk supply peaks at around 6wks after lambing
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i was feeding my ewes that had triplets around a kilo per day indoors to keep the milk flowing and twins slightly over half a kilo
i have noticed now that the ewes are out on grass there has been a reduction in their intake of of nuts so must be getting what they need from the grass