Hi guys, we have a small flock of 10 mixed breed sheep such as soay, shetland, Welsh lleyn and hebridean. I have tried to be proactive this year my cutting and baling my own hay this summer (by hand!) and stored it for the winter but mice seem to have got in and no matter what we do to get rid, the hay is starting to smell like mice! Is it going to still be OK to feed it to the sheep?
We don't have a lot of cash to go buying alternative feed and so was wondering if anyone has tried beg, steal and forage foods - we have a large willow woodland and the sheep love knawing at branches, we also have a local food bank charity who has offered us any veg that comes in that's not appropriate for them but there's legislation on 'kitchen scraps' but is this technically classed as scraps if it's never entered a kitchen?
Next year I'm going to try growing fodder beet as a winter feed but has anyone experience of foraging for feed alternatives?