The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Sunnybank on October 09, 2011, 03:01:42 pm

Title: what to feed shetlands??
Post by: Sunnybank on October 09, 2011, 03:01:42 pm: help please for a newbie thinking about winter!!

we have 12 shetland lambs, apart from the grass and hay, what else should they be having, what type of feed is ok, they are all girls, do they need a mineral lick, can they have any sheep feed, they have had a handful of sheep nuts every few days to get them bucket tame

thanks for any advice
Title: Re: what to feed shetlands??
Post by: lachlanandmarcus on October 09, 2011, 03:56:25 pm: If they are not going to the tup this year then they will only need ad lib hay plus a mineral lick, I use the Rockies yellow lick (the square hard chalky one, it copes with rain./snow better than the bucket licks and is all they need). Plus un-iced over water.

The handful of nuts is a good idea to continue just to keep them on your side.

Even in lamb unless very old/thin already they will just need a little food leading up to lambing.

enjoy your lambs (warning very addictive, I started with 6 ewes and have about 30 odd including a ram and lambs now!)
Title: Re: what to feed shetlands??
Post by: Fronhaul on October 09, 2011, 07:55:37 pm: Shetlands are horribly addictive. I tried four earlier this year to see if we liked them and now have 32.

I tend to take them a little coarse mix every day to keep them used to us and I admit I have 2 Shearlings and a ewe who will do almost anything for a piece of digestive biscuit.

I am becoming a fan of mineral drenches having read the discussions on this forum and having asked around a little. The arguments seem to make sense especially for ewes going to the tup. Mineral licks are great though but avoid the red ones which contain too much copper for sheep.
Title: Re: what to feed shetlands??
Post by: bigchicken on October 09, 2011, 08:18:43 pm: I go for field rotation hay adlib and a little bit of mixed sheep feed to keep them handy. My fields are quite small so grass is not abundant in the winter. I have used a mineral block in the past but I dont use them now I find no great advantage.
Title: Re: what to feed shetlands??
Post by: Sunnybank on October 09, 2011, 08:43:25 pm: Thanks everyone, thanks for your replies
Its nice to hear they wont need too much extra.
we started with 5 beginning of august to keep the grass down and see how we got on - we now have 10 with 2 more arriving this week - i totally agree they are very addictive .
Title: Re: what to feed shetlands??
Post by: SallyintNorth on October 09, 2011, 11:47:20 pm: Quote from: Fronhaul on October 09, 2011, 07:55:37 pm
Mineral licks are great though but avoid the red ones which contain too much copper for sheep.

I think the colour may depend on the make. Crystallix red is for sheep; it's the green one which has too much copper for sheep.
Title: Re: what to feed shetlands??
Post by: Fronhaul on October 10, 2011, 07:51:12 am: Oops never seen those Sally. Thanks for that info.
Title: Re: what to feed shetlands??
Post by: Sylvia on October 10, 2011, 03:08:28 pm: My Shetlands, even my old lady of twelve do very well on hay and a small ammount of ewe nuts in the winter. (they also love overgrown beetroot)