[alexpb22]

Hi all,

I wanted to ask your thoughts on feeding during this time of extended drought conditions. 

We haven't had any rain here in the East for months now and none is forecast.  My paddocks are completely yellow, as I'm sure most of yours are.  This is my first year keeping sheep and I only have 5 castrated males, as pets, so no breeding or for meat.  I've been supplementing them with hay and a mineral lick but it being my first year I'm not 100% sure I'm feeding enough.

So I just wondered, those of you who have a few sheep and are also experiencing this drought, I wondered how much you were feeding on a daily basis and whether you were supplementing with more than forage?

The sheep are around 18 months old

If I'm not feeding enough I want to address is straight away.

Thanks for any advice

[Richmond]

Not sure where you are but we're in North Norfolk and we are in the same situation. The landscape is yellow/brown as far as the eye can see and smaller trees and shrubs are dying off. The grass crunches underfoot. Our apple crop has failed again and all I seem to do is water stuff - goodness knows what the bill will be!!! 

We are putting ad lib hay out in the racks for all the sheep which they can choose to eat or not - some are some aren't - and we are feeding coarse ration once a day to the growing lambs (now weaned and going off end October). Last year they fattened entirely on grass. We are cutting branches from trees and bushes - willow, hazel, beech - which all the sheep devour enthusiastically. Tbh despite the lack of grass the sheep all look well and some of them are actually fat!

I'm no expert but if you just have pet wethers then I would think hay and a mineral lick should suffice as you are not building them up for the approaching breeding season.

[twizzel]

I would say hay and lick is fine if they’re pets. I’m only feeding my sheep because the ewes need condition to go back to the ram, and the lambs need to finish so there’s more grass for the ewes at tupping.

[shep53]

Hay & a lick should be fine for non breeding sheep . Look on the internet for condition scoring in sheep ,its easier than it first looks , just putting a hand on their backs / tail head to tell how fat or not  and give a numerical score , then you will know if loosing or gaining condition over time

[alexpb22]

Not sure where you are but we're in North Norfolk and we are in the same situation. The landscape is yellow/brown as far as the eye can see and smaller trees and shrubs are dying off. The grass crunches underfoot. Our apple crop has failed again and all I seem to do is water stuff - goodness knows what the bill will be!!! 

We are putting ad lib hay out in the racks for all the sheep which they can choose to eat or not - some are some aren't - and we are feeding coarse ration once a day to the growing lambs (now weaned and going off end October). Last year they fattened entirely on grass. We are cutting branches from trees and bushes - willow, hazel, beech - which all the sheep devour enthusiastically. Tbh despite the lack of grass the sheep all look well and some of them are actually fat!

I'm no expert but if you just have pet wethers then I would think hay and a mineral lick should suffice as you are not building them up for the approaching breeding season.

Thanks for replying and yes I think it should be fine.  Thing is I'm not 100% sure how much hay they should be getting on a daily basis.  What would you think 5 medium sheep would need in this drought?

[alexpb22]

Hay & a lick should be fine for non breeding sheep . Look on the internet for condition scoring in sheep ,its easier than it first looks , just putting a hand on their backs / tail head to tell how fat or not  and give a numerical score , then you will know if loosing or gaining condition over time

Thank you, I do check them and so far they seem OK but I'm not sure if I'm feeding enough hay.  What would you think 5 sheep would need every day?

[Anke]

If they polish it off within an hours or so, you are not feeding enough, if there is some left over in the evening, you are feeding too much. Trial and error, plus condition scoring.


If you are feeding hay they do need fresh water available all the time (I find that mine do not drink much as long as the grass is wet at some point during the day, but we are further north and don't have a drought).


I defintiely would NOT feed any concentrates to pet sheep, not even in winter.


As said above - offering branches is also a good add-on.