The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: thesuffolksmallholding on December 09, 2018, 12:05:49 pm
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We are running low on hay this year, but have lots of good wheat straw stacked up in the shed, and was thinking what your opinions would be on feeding it to ewes scanned for singles in the last 6 weeks up to lambing.
They will be getting fed a concentrate and they have grass underneath them. There also in good condition being down crosses, all around a bsc 4.
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Yes you can feed straw but it must be clean bright with ideally lots of green grass weeds etc , oat straw is best then barley and wheat last the sheep will only eat 50% _ 75% of a bale with a lot of waste , commercially pot ale syrup or molasses are poured on to the straw to improve consumption and act as a laxative . Straw is very low in protein and minerals so you may have to increase the amount you give , a lot depends on how much grass is available
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Why not sell or swap the straw for hay? I suppose it depends on what part of the UK your in, but here there isn't much arable and hay and straw sell for the same price.
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Flipping heck, hay is like gold dust up here, lucky if you can get a bale for £30 this year. Normally £20-25. Straw is usually half the price, but most farmers are keeping hold of it round here due to shortages of that too.
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We also have some lovely bright wheat straw and the sheep are quite happy to eat it. You get a fair amount of wastage as they leave the very stalky bits, but I spread that as bedding. So don't assume that because they still have some left that they will eat it - you need to sort out the stalks as it gets eaten down.
However, as said it is low in protein, energy and minerals, so I give them a high protein and energy feed block so they can help themselves to make up what they might be lacking in.