[OhLaLa]

Most of you guys have been through this already so can think of no better place to ask:

The snow has covered the grass. The sheep aren't even a year old yet so have never seen snow before - I've given them hay and hard feed but they won't touch either.

The hay is just inside their shelter by the entrance, and the hard feed next to it just outside.

They look at it, look at me. And bleat every time they see me throughout the day.

They've never eaten any hay that I've offered (ever), but they have eaten exactly the same hard feed.

What do I do?

PS: No older ewes to put in with them, and I'll get a hay metal hay rack fixed up for them at the weekend. No other hay available.

[bamford6]

you must try some think else beet solige soon as they get there head round it they will be ok but they need food water a must at the mo

[OhLaLa]

Thanks. I'm updating my reply with the latest:

I have soaked sugar beet already made up for the horses, so I've mixed some of that in with the sheepnuts and had a little success. They ate for about a couple of minutes then walked off. Does this sound ok timing wise? One still won't touch it.

The only other green stuff I've got is alfalfa so I offered her some of that which she took a little of so I've mixed the rest into the leftover sheepnut/beet mix and popped it into their shelter out of the snow. They have fresh water, but they drink little of that at the best of times.

They seem to prefer sitting out in the snow so hope they find it.

Any advice re quantities of soaked sugar beet /alfalfa?

New shepherd in a bit of a tizz here...............

[Fleecewife]

When you say 'nuts' is it the big ewe nuts? I find smaller sheep/lambs don't eat those.  We feed coarse sheep mix, with all sorts of squashed peas and grains as well as fine concentrate pencils in it, all flavoured with molasses.  They love that.  Something else you could try if you can find any is willow branches.  Sounds weird but most breeds love them and they provide a good chew and some vitamins etc. Apple, ash and so on will do too.
Beyond that I can't think why they're not eating at least the hay. Have you fluffed it up?  Are they scraping down through the snow to the grass?  If not maybe you can show them how to do that by clearing a patch with a shovel. Then if they are interested sprinkle some coarse mix on top of the grass and see if they get the idea.  Do they have a molasses lick?

Maybe they need an antidepressant 

[woollyval]

If, like mine they are getting their noses therough the snow and eating the grass they are obviously not hungry! If starving they are not daft and will eat the hay esp,

[Anke]

My sheep (and goats) love ivy branches/leaves at this time of year. I only give them a little, really just to keep them occupied, now that the snow is really quite deep. But they also still go through the snow with their heads, it makes for some funny faces all covered in snow! My ewes won't touch their straw at the moment, they get haylage (not ad lib, but a good feeder full) and mix too, but the lambs (still unsold as we are snowed in and I cannot get even the gates to open, nevermind to load shep into a trailer or drive down and untreated single lane road with a trailer.... they were supposed to go yesterday!) hoover it all up in no time! So they must be hungry!

Feel their backs if you are worried, also if they are hungry/thin you see them looking hollow just in front of their hips/backlegs.

[dyedinthewool]

Hi Ohlala,

It must be very difficult for you -all that snow.  We only have a smattering thats frozen on the ground.

I started my 9 month olds with Coarse mix (like what fleecewife said ) it started with when I wanted to do their feet - 'OH made me a sort off race with hurdles and gates to pen them in and as a 'there's a good lamb' I fed them a small handful of Coarse Mix - took a while before they would take from my hand; but I perservered.  Now they only have to see the bucket and they come running.

I now mix rolled barley -coarse mix - ewe nuts - beetshreds ( these are soaked in a bucket overnight but are not  as 'wet' as for horses, the ones on the top just damp, they don't like them if to wet  - I add more shreds each day - mixing them up with the wetter bits in the bottom of the bucket).  Makes your hand black!!!
They then get roughly 330grams each split into two feeds (cup your hands together) I add some thinly sliced windfall apples in with the evening feed.  Other than that they have hay ad-lib and a lick.
I've also been clearing the brambles from the overgrown hedges and I have 3 helpers now who follow me around waiting for me to hold the thorny bit while they eat the leaves, and any Ivy trails they munch off as well.   They have striped their 'scratching'  Ash pole of bark.

[OhLaLa]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Raced out this morning as not a sheep to be seen. Snowed heavily overnight, little black noses popped up out of the snow at the rattle of the feed bucket (the food I left last night was untouched). They came over and ate for couple mins max, just that one ewe refuses to touch it now.

Your replies make a lot of sense, if only I could get some of the stuff you mention: The feed merchants don't stock anything but the 'nuts' - but can't get to them now anyway. Will see if they will order it in when the roads are cleared and I can make the journey (but I won't need it once the grass back?), and the only licks available are the large sheep mineral licks - have got one of those in their shelter.

I considered putting hurdles around their shelter to keep them by it and the food, but suspect that might just stop them finding whatever green they can rather than encourage them to eat the hay/hard feed?

[doganjo]

Can these nuts be ground down to smaller pieces for them or is it just they don't like the taste?  Can you clear the snow for them to let them see the grass underneath - even just a little bit?

[OhLaLa]

The nuts are hard, I think they would destroy the machine.

So, next job is get them some apple wood logs out of the wood store, rattle that feed bucket again, refluff the hay - and then start scraping snow (it's above my knees)........

 

[Fleecewife]

Hi there OhLaLa  Fresh branches with 1 to 3 years growth are what they need, while there is still juice in them. It was just a suggestion in case you have some you can prune easily.  For the concentrates, sheep need particular gut flora to be able to digest grains and other stuff in them and it takes them a while to build the flora up.  For this reason it is best to give them a small amount of concentrates every day through the winter against the time such as now when they will have to eat larger quantities as nothing else is available. I think many people have been caught out by this sudden severe weather, with hoggs which don't know what this new food is.
The hard frosts have now effectively killed the grass.  It needs day and night temps above 7 degrees C for grass to start growing again so they will need hay plus small quantities of concentrates from now until you can see fresh grass growth in your area.
Because your snow is so deep they won't be able to scrape down to grass.  Ours manage until it's a foot or so deep but after that they just rely on hay and whatever else we give them, plus whatever they can stretch up to in the hedges.  Our black sheep currently all have white faces with the snow which has stuck to them from ferreting around below the surface.
Something else we give our sheep - the older ones - is digestive biscuits.  Many people will throw up their hands in horror at this, but sometimes they will stimulate the appetite when nothing else will.  Your hoggs won't know what they are though so would ignore them too.  A way round that is to push small pieces into their mouths, behind their front teeth, so they get the taste.  After that they will come for them.  Not large amounts, just tidbits to perk them up.
Do you have any brassicas in your garden?  The outer leaves of those usually go down a treat too, and taking them doesn't stop your crop.

[OhLaLa]

Thank you so much for the good ideas - I've a good amount of (droopy frosted) kale - so, right, taking that out next!

I'd already put a couple of logs into the shelter before I read your reply - (fresh applewood? oh silly me) - but they took an interest in what I was doing (maybe the apply smell) in there and started to pick at the food. The none eater has nibbled too thankfully, and one was tucking in prob a bit too much. Just too much one way or the other when these things happen isn't it? Anyhow, about two scoops of food in there total, will see how much went when I go back out shortly with the kale.

Suspect the orchard will be the next place to visit on the list, about 30+ trees out there so should be ok to find a branch or two (lets look on the bright side - they need a prune anyhow). Camera needed to catch the moment all that snow falls on top of me when I reach up with the saw to prune.

I've cleared a route to their water, quite a few clumps of grass poking up along the way.

And I happen to have a packet of digestive biccies to hand so will take those out as well........

[doganjo]

I just put porridge out for my young ducks - with poultry spice in it.  They wouldn't touch it.  even Ma and Pa were reluctant so I threw some pellets on top and they started but then went off to bathe. So the hens got extra.  Will try the porridge tomorrow with honey instead.  You just have to try everything this weather to keep your animals safe, don't you. Them and the dogs all got warm water with oil in it but I'm onto expensive virgin olive oil after that so I'd better get out soon.

[shetlandpaul]

put a little warm water with there nuts and it should soften them like chuck food. why can't you get a corse mix were you are.

[OhLaLa]

I don't know why no coarse mix, never asked. Maybe just no demand for it.

Pulled an armful of Kale leafs off plants so that's on top of the hay.

Thanks for your time in replying - I know a lot of you guys have it much worse than me.