The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: marsha0012000 on July 12, 2008, 05:00:01 pm
-
I have got some soay lambs they are 2 months old i have put them in a stable with some hay to eat is there anything else they need to eat?
-
Hello there, I'm not an expert on Soay sheep but I would give them a mineral lick definately and maybe an energy lick although thats usually a winter thing but might compensate for the loss of sugar from the grass? Are you intending to keep them indoors long or put them out to grass? What were they being fed on before you got them - I'd be tempted to give them lamb pellets as well. Certainly helps if you are trying to tame them by hand feeding.
Carol
-
Thankyou i am keeping them in for a week or two so they will get use to me then they will be going out to grass they wern't being fed on anything before just grass.
-
Remember to make sure that they have constant access to clean, fresh water. Good luck with the "taming".
-
Hmmm I would first like to say...........Please go and do a course on sheep somewhere! It never fails to amaze me how people buy sheep/ lambs with not an idea how to look after them :o :-\
Now then, did you get any info from their previous owner? At 2 months they are a bit young to have left their mums ??? Have they been wormed? vaccinated against blue tongue if in an area where the vaccine is available? Have they been sprayed with anything to protect them from flystrike or kill lice/ticks?
They will have been eating grass if with their mothers in a field before you bought them but at the tender age they are I would reccommend feeding soft meadow hay from a rack, not off the floor, and feeding a cup of lamb weener/creep pellets per day as they will be missing on the nutrition they should be getting still from milk. This will also introduce them to hard feed and make them easier to catch later on.
Worm them before you let them out, if not done just before you purchased them, check their feet and trim if necessary.
Good luck
-
A course on sheep would be great if there was anything locally. I'm talking to our local "land based" college to see if they will run something for new or would-be sheep owners - a few days at different times of the year woudl be great. Up here, there's mostly big farms and the tarining is suited to that.
-
If it would help and someone has some guinea pig sheep I would be prepared to come and impart everything I know to a crowd of people? I am a trained trainer and insured and can and do aim my teaching at the novice/smallholder not the big farmer (who is also still welcome btw!)
-
Hey everyone i am doing well they are eating out of my hand how long do i keep them in for? woolleystephen your more then welcome to come here and use the farm to train people we have 5 sheep 2 alpacas, chickens, ducks, goats and deer we have a barn and stables what you could use if it's raining.
-
I would be delighted to Marsha..........where are you?
-
In Meopham near Gravesend what shall we do to organise it?