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Author Topic: Do I need mineral licky tubs for Rams?  (Read 1996 times)

Trix

  • Joined Jul 2020
Do I need mineral licky tubs for Rams?
« on: July 12, 2020, 12:23:06 am »
Hi everyone - my first daft question as a newbie.... I have 2 Rams, with 2 acres of pasture. Am I right that I need to be giving them some form of mineral tub, or mineral lick? Which kind is best for Rams? Do I leave it out permanently, or is it rationed? There's so many types, it's mind boggling. They mostly seem to specify being for Ewes too.
They have a salt lick, but I've noticed one has cracked hooves.... wondering if this could be a deficiency? Thanks everyone.

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Do I need mineral licky tubs for Rams?
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2020, 08:52:09 am »
Mineral buckets for rams can be problematic due to the calcium : phosphorus ratio. There’s a couple specifically designed for rams so I’d try to find one of them- Tubby do a purely mineral bucket, and Rumenco do one called Ramcare but that has a bit of energy and protein added for running up to tupping.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Do I need mineral licky tubs for Rams?
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2020, 09:42:23 am »
Not at this time of year I would think.

Trix

  • Joined Jul 2020
Re: Do I need mineral licky tubs for Rams?
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2020, 08:56:11 pm »
Thank you Twizzel and Anke.
Actually, I was wrong calling them rams - they’ve had their back wheels removed, so I should have said Wethers.... does that change any advice?

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Do I need mineral licky tubs for Rams?
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2020, 10:59:55 pm »
Thank you Twizzel and Anke.
Actually, I was wrong calling them rams - they’ve had their back wheels removed, so I should have said Wethers.... does that change any advice?


Yes - don't need any concentrate, ever... except for keeping them tame enough to get them into a pen (never more than a handful) - grass nuts are good for that. Will get fat if fed more than hay. Also problems may occur in the form of urinary calculii (bladder stones) if fed on concentrates.

Trix

  • Joined Jul 2020
Re: Do I need mineral licky tubs for Rams?
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2020, 11:41:55 pm »
Wow, thank you Anke.
Really helpful advice, really is appreciated. It's a learning curve lol.

At the moment they feed exclusively on pasture. They used to also have access to hay all year round in the past, as they had limited and low quality pasture. Now though, they have 2 good acres between 2 of them. So my plan was to just put hay in their shelter over the winter potentially So, no concentrates, pasture and maybe hay too over the winter. Sound like a plan? (They do have  salt lick...)

bj_cardiff

  • Joined Feb 2017
  • Carmarthenshire
Re: Do I need mineral licky tubs for Rams?
« Reply #6 on: July 15, 2020, 06:57:49 am »
2 acres for 2 wethers is way to much I'm afraid. Rams and ewes have a natural cycle, the ewes lamb and loose a lot of weight and then spend the rest of the year putting it back on. The rams are usually so focussed on their job that when in with the ewes they sometimes forget to eat and can drop a large amount of weight - and then spend the rest of the year outing it back on. Wethers (and non breeding ewes) don't have this cycle so they can out an awful lot of weight on which is very unhealthy for them.

I have 4 fat 2yr old ewes on one acre of previously grazed (not much grass) field at the moment and they don't seem to be loosing any weight.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Do I need mineral licky tubs for Rams?
« Reply #7 on: July 15, 2020, 10:49:23 am »
Wow, thank you Anke.
Really helpful advice, really is appreciated. It's a learning curve lol.

At the moment they feed exclusively on pasture. They used to also have access to hay all year round in the past, as they had limited and low quality pasture. Now though, they have 2 good acres between 2 of them. So my plan was to just put hay in their shelter over the winter potentially So, no concentrates, pasture and maybe hay too over the winter. Sound like a plan? (They do have  salt lick...)


Hay only if thick snow (they will be able to scrape through a good couple of inches of snow to get to the grass beneath) or if ground frozen for more than a day. If you start feeding hay when not needed (or even if it is) you will find that they may get a bit vocal whenever they see you and want more....

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Do I need mineral licky tubs for Rams?
« Reply #8 on: July 15, 2020, 11:09:29 am »
As above, if they’ve plenty of grass they shouldn’t need hay. I wintered 10 ewe lambs out on grass alone last winter, old permanent pasture, they had a feed block as they were still growing but not a shred of hay. And they came out of winter looking fab.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Do I need mineral licky tubs for Rams?
« Reply #9 on: July 15, 2020, 12:09:03 pm »
I just wrote about minerals on another thread.  Linky
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

 

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