The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Liz Kershaw on May 17, 2016, 03:40:12 pm
-
I have a hobby flock of Ryelands - my new additions are twin ram lambs (now 3 weeks old and robust) and a ewe lamb of 6 days (also doing well). If the ram lambs look good prospects (they have a good pedigree) I will try and sell them as tups - if not, I will get the vet to wether them at 8 weeks or so and keep them to add to our lawnmower collection. The ewe lamb will stay with us anyway. Obviously, I don't need to fatten them for slaughter sale so should I creep feed to get their rumens used to dry food etc or just leave them to go from mum to grass? We have plenty of grass now and mum seems to have plenty of milk for her greedy pair. If the advice is to creep feed regardless of their ultimate destination, when should I start?
Thanks - my sheep knowledge is growing daily ...
-
You should do a poll :)
No, better not to IMHO. You want to breed sheep that can do well off milk & grass alone.
-
Nope, as stated already sheep should be bred to do well off grass alone...and generally do if given a chance.
-
Ryelands and other Down breeds shouldn't need creep feed if the ewe has enough milk. Only those I know of destined for showing get more than milk and grass.
-
Only those I know of destined for showing get more than milk and grass.
...but shouldn't! :)
-
If it ain't broke, don't fix it :innocent:
-
if there is plenty of grass I would leave him to grow naturally, they grow quite big on grass and are very healthy into the bargain too. All my ram lambs I sell as breeders get nothing but mums milk and grass and they shoot up like the dickins. This is my own opinion though not law :roflanim:
-
Only those I know of destined for showing get more than milk and grass.
...but shouldn't! :)
Once met a chap who specialised in ram sales - his had additional feed for nine of the 15 months before they were sold.
-
Only those I know of destined for showing get more than milk and grass.
...but shouldn't! :)
Once met a chap who specialised in ram sales - his had additional feed for nine of the 15 months before they were sold.
:(. And when you get your shiny new ram home from the sales it falls to pieces in the first winter.
-
Never fed creep feed to lambs, only orphan lambs. Lambs on their mums can eat grass and continue to eat grass when weaned from mum. Reared a fantastic ram once using this method who was a credit to me.
-
Thanks for all these replies, so helpful. From what I have read, it sounds like if you want a decent healthy robust animal that's destined to live longer than slaughter age, creep feeding does more harm than good (and not just to the purse). Lambs still growing well at the moment.