The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Lostlambs on February 26, 2011, 01:51:13 am

Title: Canola feed for sheep?
Post by: Lostlambs on February 26, 2011, 01:51:13 am

I have tested my hay and it is short on protein this year-probably due to the horrible wet year last and when I talked to the ag guy he suggested adding 1/4 lb canola meal or pellet to 3/4 lb corn or oats. I haven't heard of anyone feeding this yet and worry I might have other problems with them that are to lamb end of April. Has anyone fed canola to pregnant ewes? Do I need to adjust any mineral with this?

Title: Re: Canola feed for sheep?
Post by: Fleecewife on February 26, 2011, 11:44:40 am

Sorry, I haven't heard of canola.  I use a pre-mixed coarse mix which has rolled peas, maize, and other grains and ewe pencils in it.  Do you have access to ewe pencils with a stated protein content?  Here we get 16% and 18% - the latter for ewes approaching lambing.  It is probably a bit more expensive than straight grains, but easier to work out just what they are getting, bioth proteins and minerals.  We also give a molassed mineral lick.

Title: Re: Canola feed for sheep?
Post by: janeislay on February 26, 2011, 03:15:25 pm

Straights are more expensive now than processed feeds !  How mad is that !

Canola meal will presumably be a by-product of Canola oil - one of those bad oils with too much Omega 6.
It'll be much like soya meal, I guess.  I wouldn't use either of them.

I use straight oats with sugarbeet nuts and just a handful of ewebol pellets.

Title: Re: Canola feed for sheep?
Post by: robert waddell on February 26, 2011, 04:16:17 pm

canola is oilseed rape

Title: Re: Canola feed for sheep?
Post by: dyedinthewool on February 26, 2011, 08:41:07 pm

Quote from: janeislay on February 26, 2011, 03:15:25 pm

I use straight oats with sugarbeet nuts and just a handful of ewebol pellets.

Hi janeislay

How much do you feed per ewe - I presume that when feeding pencils they are more concentrated than feeding a mix of 'straight' feed so if feeding 8oz of ewe pencils what amount of 'mixed' grains would be the equivilant.
I only have 8 sheep and mix oats - sugarbeet shreds - flaked maize - barley - coarse mix and a small amount of ewe pencils in a tub and feed twice a day, but am always wondering if I'm feeding to much or not enough :-\

What are ewebol pellets please...

Title: Re: Canola feed for sheep?
Post by: Lostlambs on February 27, 2011, 02:29:00 am

Thought this was probably a new thing-I haven't found anyone that has fed canola meal so I'm going to try to find an alternative.We don't have sugarbeet here and what are ewe pencils?.We have a creep feed -pellets made of different grains for the lambs but nothing like what I am hearing of ewe nuts-what are these made of ? Thanks

Title: Re: Canola feed for sheep?
Post by: dyedinthewool on February 27, 2011, 08:25:23 pm

Hi Lostlambs,

Ewe pencils are ewe nuts - being from a horse background I would have called them nuts, but apparently sheep people call them 'pencils'.

They are the same as 'creep pellets' only for ewes -different make up percentage of grains and vitimins.

I still hope someone will tell me the different ration ratio between 'nuts/pencils' and the mix of grains I give.

Title: Re: Canola feed for sheep?
Post by: waterhouse on February 28, 2011, 06:44:00 pm

I feed this stuff from Allen & Page because it's what my supplier has and the sheep like it.  Sheep mix is like muesli and costs £9.75 while the ewe nuts seem to be what other people call pencils, are an extruded pellet and cost £8.35/20kg

http://www.smallholderfeed.co.uk/Products/Sheep/Default.aspx (http://www.smallholderfeed.co.uk/Products/Sheep/Default.aspx)