The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: NewLifeOnTheFarm on January 29, 2019, 09:11:05 am
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What do people find best, buckets or blocks? I emailed my local agri merchant and they recommended a rumevite block, which is same weight but cheaper than the buckets I have been using. I see a lot of farmers using the buckets, and I'm wondering if they last longer and are better, so actually work out better price in long run?
Also, do you just put feed blocks directly onto ground?
Thanks.
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Blocks are a feed replacer, buckets are a supplement. Block intake is higher so whilst they are cheaper they won’t last as long as buckets and don’t contain as high amounts of minerals vitamins etc as buckets do.
Rumevite do an orange block holder bucket or you can put them on the ground.
I am using Mole Valley super energy buckets (the blue ones). Singles just have the bucket at the mo, twins have a bucket and 350g day ewe nuts (4 weeks off lambing, will go up to 500-600g at 2 weeks before lambing when they come in).
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Blocks contain a high percentage of cereals and are softer and affected by the weather , ideally you need to put in a container to stop the sheep biting the edges , good for sheep on hill /rough ground
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Thank you both for your replies. I think I will hold off the feed block for now. I have 20 Shetlands and 1 ryeland ewe in a 6 acre field, adlib hay and a high energy bucket at present. They are in good condition and all look well. I'm very cautious of overfeeding, so am thinking I will keep things as they are until I bring them in, and then will start giving a few nuts as well. Does that sound reasonable?
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OK just keep condition scoring so you know if holding /slowly or quickly losing condition so you can react
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Given the current weather, I have given them a feed block as well. A rumenvite high energy one. Seems to be going down well.