The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: ewesaidit on March 23, 2013, 08:27:21 pm

Title: when to stop topping up?
Post by: ewesaidit on March 23, 2013, 08:27:21 pm

Hi   I have a ewe with one quarter whose twins I have been topping up.   Although the ewe is milky they hav been taking around a litre a day split in to two feeds.   They are almost 11 weeks old.  Just wondered how long everyone continues to top up?   They are mostly out by day, in at night with access to hay and creep feed. 
 
 

Title: Re: when to stop topping up?
Post by: SallyintNorth on March 23, 2013, 09:52:21 pm

Long since.  6 weeks max - but only if they're eating creep and you will carry on offering creep.

If you don't want to cake, I have no experience but would think another week or so, provided there is plenty of good grass for them to eat.

Title: Re: when to stop topping up?
Post by: ewesaidit on March 24, 2013, 10:39:20 pm

thanks Sallyinthenorth - I did wonder - they are possibly going to be moved next week to a farm up the road - I need their night time space so I don't feel so bad about stopping then       however,there aren't facilities to creep feed there although I was going to try and go up once a day to trough feed the ewes so the lambs would get a bit of cake then 

Title: Re: when to stop topping up?
Post by: SallyintNorth on March 25, 2013, 04:30:14 pm

Trough feeding is better than nothing - but you'll need two or three times as much trough space as you'd expect to keep the ewes from bulling the lambs away from the cake. ;)

Title: Re: when to stop topping up?
Post by: ewesaidit on March 25, 2013, 10:35:06 pm

thanks again for the advice Sally      I could maybe set up a big creep pen out in the field using some hurdles and the creep hurdle and put a sheet of plywood on top to keep the weather off