The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: beauharlan on August 15, 2024, 07:49:35 am
-
Hello, my 8 sheep are currently suffering from summer diarrhea and have been diagnosed with eating fresh grass on my farm. Currently everything is under control but concerns about the above situation still exist.
I have practiced good barn and sheep cleaning and tried to maintain that. I want to ask is there any way to prevent the same thing from happening in the future? Are there any eating tips that you guys use? Thank you.
-
Good quality minerals before moving onto lush grass. Salt lick always available.
Ideally, graze lush grass with cattle first and then sheep, stops it being too lush for the sheep.
Do you need the grass to be this lush? Can you deplete it somewhat? (Eg., by taking a hay crop each year.)
And never fertilise it, if it's too lush for your sheep and you can't put cattle in first.
If you've just one lush field, can you take a hay crop first and then graze later?
Or overwinter them on there to knock it back, so it takes all spring and some of the summer to come back.
-
Lush wet grass happens at this time of year and if you want sheep to grow and put on condition then its something you accept , some breeds are worse than others with suffolk very susceptible and some familys /sheep are also more susceptible , the runs only happen for a short while normally while the gut adjusts , in your case try feeding hay either outside in racks or let them graze all day and then bring inside to eat hay over night just until there gut adjusts