The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: BaaHumBug on July 14, 2021, 08:03:02 am
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Hi, I am starting my flock by raising 3 orphan ewe lambs that I bought at market. They are now 3 months old and successfully weaned from milk. The are in a paddock with plenty of grass (and hens!). I have been giving them creep feed too. My question - how long do they need to be given creep feed, and when could they be on "just" grass? All advice appreciated :sheep: :sheep: :sheep:
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You could probably wean them off the creep now, if they are eating plenty of grass :thumbsup:
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Are these keepers or eaters? If the latter, did you want to get them away this year or are you happy to keep them over winter?
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At this age, as Twizzel says, wean them off the creep but make sure they have quality grass. Plenty of grass does not necessarily equate to to quality. Long stalky grass does not have the the feed value of succulent leafy grass as the feed value is in the leaf; not the stalks. The best grass nutritionally is what grew the night before. So if your grass is long, then strim or cut it to encourage regrowth. By cutting down on the creep you will encourage rumen development so the sheep will be able to digest forage efficiently and not need to rely on concentrates. Obviously if you were raising these to eat you might keep feeding creep to get them fat as soon as possible. But as they are the start of your flock then you want them long term to have an efficient and well developed rumen so that they can thrive on forage alone.
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These are keepers. I'd like to breed from them down the line
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Also, how do I wean them off? Just stop one day, or reduce it slowly? Many thanks
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Just stop it, they may take a check for a week or 2, but they’ll soon motor on with just grass.