The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Ladygrey on December 05, 2012, 05:54:10 pm
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Hi there :)
Just wandering if this all sounds right, two (tiny) groups of sheep at the moment and trying to get the feeding right,
the sheep baah even if they arent hungry, I think they are just being greedy.
Group 1 is 5 lambs, two wethers that didnt grow big enough for the chop (will have to be done as older lamb next year), 3 ewe lambs that werent quite heavy enough for the ram
I have also stuck a pregnant shetland ewe in with them as she is TOO FAT!!! and seems to get fat off fresh air.
As they arent producing anything (apart from shetland) is it ok to just give this group hay over winter? Is it ok to have the shetland on so little?
they are in a 1-2 acre paddock with next to no grass at all and apart from the wethers (who have always been thin) they seem fine for now.
The other group is 3 (big) ewe lambs who could do with just that little bit more weight on them and a charolais ram, I have given them a protein bucket plus they have hay and the ram is getting 0.5kgs concentrate a day after I thought he looked a little thinner than when he arrived :innocent.
They have very little grass but I think slightly more than the others do
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They will be fine on just hay
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Thankyou :) minds put to rest
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As long as they have plenty of grass I wouldn't even bother with hay, specially as one needs slimming down and that can be hard to do when a sheep has gone fat.
If the grass gets sparse, then I'd give hay only + hard mins... Rockies maybe.
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agree - yellow Rockies lick for vits and mins, fresh water and whatever grass they can find unless there really is nothing - then hay.
Only the underweight need any quantity of nuts, the pregnant ladies might like a pinch each but no more unless you scan and know some are having multiples where you might give a little more esp for any oldies.
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If the weather turns colder and more wintery then I'd stick a bucket or feed block in with them. Wouldn't bother with high energy just the cheapest you can find. Otherwise hay should store them through fairly well.