The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Vinnie on May 02, 2016, 06:05:35 am
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We have an older ewe that has lambed. She has some milk just wondering if anyone has any suggestions to help her increase her milk? She gets alfalfa grass mix for hay and green grass and oats. Also they have a molasses mineral block. We can help supplement the little guy but moms milk is always the best for them so any ideas would be great.
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I do not know about sheep but with mares cocoa powder works to get a mare milking.
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How old is she? The milk will increase with the lamb's demands but a ewe that's old enough to have gone thin will need extra supplementation to keep up, if she can. Had you fed her any hard feed in the run up to lambing? We feed our ewes an 18% protein feed starting 6-8 weeks before lambing (depending on the weather), increasing slowly to around 200g twice a day if scanned with singles, 400g with doubles. This continues until the lambs are at least three weeks old, although the grass is so slow to come in this year my last batch of ewes to lamb is still being fed. If she can't keep up you may need to supplement with creep or resign yourself to having a skinny lamb that's missed out on protein at the point early in its life that has the most efficient feed conversion rate.
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She is about 12- 13 years old, still bossy and healthy. She was born and raised here so she thinks she knows everything. Every year she has had a healthy lamb and is a very good mom, this year her milk is less though and she had a greedy little boy. There food I don't know the protein content ( imagine it is around 18-20%)but it is 3/4 alfalfa creeping and tap lots of leaves, some grasses like brome, pubescent wheatgrass and crested from large round bales. As well as about 2 cups of oats which adds more protein, and lots of fresh greens. Hopefully her milk comes in more in the next few days, because she is such an attentive mom.
I never heard of giving cocoa powder to animals? Do they just eat it free choice or do you have to make up a mix with oats?
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Chocolate is poisonous to dogs, so I wouldn't trust giving cocoa to sheep, just in case.
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Sounds like you have some lovely forage for her, but if her milk is short it will help her to have some concentrate as well. You should be able to get a sack of ewe nuts from your local agri supplier, or even just buy a few pounds from a local farmer. I'd give her less than half a pound twice a day at first; you can increase that once she's used to it.