The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Faye.Lear on May 12, 2016, 11:59:18 am

Title: Different creep feeds
Post by: Faye.Lear on May 12, 2016, 11:59:18 am

Another novice question -

How many different creep feeds are there?
I currently feed weaner pellets, and I know there are finisher pellets, but is there anything in between?

My lambs are currently coming up to 5 months old, are out to grass and are finishing the last of the weaner pellets, as 5 are ewe lambs, I plan to stop feeding them the creep when they have plenty of grass and hay infront of them for the year. However, we plan to fatten the remaining ram lamb to send to slaughter this year.

Is it worth getting some finishing pellets for ram lamb and then think about getting him sent to the abbatoir soon?


Any help much appreciated as always.  :)

Title: Re: Different creep feeds
Post by: SallyintNorth on May 12, 2016, 12:52:44 pm

What breed are they and where are you, and on what sort of ground?

Title: Re: Different creep feeds
Post by: Womble on May 12, 2016, 02:30:29 pm

Also is the ram lamb entire?  If not, does it matter if you don't get him away this year?

Title: Re: Different creep feeds
Post by: Sbom on May 12, 2016, 02:47:36 pm

At 5 months old he surely should be almost ready to go? Breed dependant...

Title: Re: Different creep feeds
Post by: shotblastuk on May 12, 2016, 04:56:49 pm

I use the smallholder ewe mix for all my sheep including lambs. http://www.smallholderfeed.co.uk/Products/Sheep/Sheep-Mix.aspx (http://www.smallholderfeed.co.uk/Products/Sheep/Sheep-Mix.aspx)

Title: Re: Different creep feeds
Post by: Backinwellies on May 12, 2016, 05:10:00 pm

Agree with Sbom   at 5 months old and fed till now he must be pretty much ready (depending on breed)  ...  does he weight about 40KG?

Title: Re: Different creep feeds
Post by: Faye.Lear on May 13, 2016, 08:43:24 am

I'm in Bristol, dry ground with plenty of grass coming on in the last couple of weeks. I have one Texel and 5 Suffolks. And yes he most definitely is around 40kg!  :)

Ram lamb was castrated so we are in no desperate rush to get rid of him, I was just wondering whether it was worth finishing him on pellets, or whether to just finish him on grass with the other ewes as they don't really need to be intensively creep fed if they aren't going to the abbatoir.  ???

Title: Re: Different creep feeds
Post by: Womble on May 13, 2016, 10:23:24 am

It's only May, so there's plenty of summer left.  If he's a wether, why not just leave him on grass with the rest, until you decide he's ready to go?

Title: Re: Different creep feeds
Post by: Sbom on May 13, 2016, 10:27:32 am

If he's that size then he's finished already! All creep feeding will do now is make him grow fat not meat which is not what you want on a finished carcass.
Get him gone. Problem solved.

Title: Re: Different creep feeds
Post by: Backinwellies on May 13, 2016, 03:13:11 pm

40kg ..... He is ready...and finished.  Commercial breeders would have him down the road before he costs them more ....any more feed wont finish just add fat.    Get him in freezer