[Foobar]

I will have my ram in with my ewes for the majority of winter this year for the first time, and am wondering what sort of hard feed to give them (if/when the weather or grass requires it).  Previously I would have used ewe nuts but that's no good for the ram.
My supplier has a ram/lamb coarse mix available, but it's expensive (needless to say the sheep love that one!).


What do other folks on here use?

[in the hills]

We fed ours a coarse mix for the same reason last winter. Not sure that it stated that it was specifically for ram/lambs though  .  Will check that and I seem to remember that it was much the same price as the ewe nuts.


Someone told me that beet cubes were a less expensive way to feed  .

[Anke]

I would certainly be careful with feeding sugar beet to males, as it can lead to urinary calculii (stones). I fed just bog-standard sheep mix for most of the winter last year, but only a little bit per day as it meant I could gather them to check on who has been tupped etc etc.
At the moment I have tup lambs (and tups) separately from the girls, so they get tupmix, and the girls get a mixture of soaked sugar beet shreds and ewe/lamb mix.
I know people feed soaked shreds to male goats with the proviso of their drining water being "spiked" with cider vingear. As this is easy for billy goats (they are inside for most of the winter and so the amounts of water they drink can be monitored), I am not sure if it would be beneficial for tups.

[Fleecewife]

We have always fed our flock on Carr's 'Tup&Lamb' coarse mix when they need a supplement in the winter, until they changed it and it's now called 'Champion Tup'.   There is also a ewe coarse mix but of course tups and all male sheep including wethers, can't have that.  Because we keep primitives they don't need a high protein level in any feed they get, and I don't really know what the situation would be for bigger more commercial sheep with males in the flock.  Normally ewes would need 16% or 18% protein in their winter feed, which would be far too much for our little sheep anyway, but the highprotein ewe feeds are unsuitable for males.
Our tups are only in with the ewes for 4 weeks in November and they don't get any extra feeding then anyway, unless we have a heavy snowfall.  The only time males are in with females and they are being fed supplements is in the first few weeks after lambing if the weather is bad, when the male lambs will be nibbling some feed.

[in the hills]

Checked my coarse mix bag ..... it is described as a general coarse mix suitable for ewes, rams, lambs, calves and goats. By Castle Feeds if that helps.


It is 16.5 per cent protein. Maybe too high for my primitives then    .... though they only have a little handful each, mainly to keep them tame.

[kaz]

I was going to say Castles coarse mix as it is a general purpose feed my sheep love that when they are mixed in together.

[shep53]

I would certainly be careful with feeding sugar beet to males, as it can lead to urinary calculii (stones). I fed just bog-standard sheep mix for most of the winter last year, but only a little bit per day as it meant I could gather them to check on who has been tupped etc etc.
At the moment I have tup lambs (and tups) separately from the girls, so they get tupmix, and the girls get a mixture of soaked sugar beet shreds and ewe/lamb mix.
I know people feed soaked shreds to male goats with the proviso of their drining water being "spiked" with cider vingear. As this is easy for billy goats (they are inside for most of the winter and so the amounts of water they drink can be monitored), I am not sure if it would be beneficial for tups.

  Soaked shreds  fed several times a day have been standard feed for sale rams also included in many coarse mix's, even in fattening mix's for wether's which are much more suceptable  to calculi than entire males

[Foobar]

Soaked shreds  fed several times a day have been standard feed for sale rams also included in many coarse mix's, even in fattening mix's for wether's which are much more suceptable  to calculi than entire males

Do they have to be shreds? And do they have to be soaked?  What is the benefit of soaking?

[Mallows Flock]

All mine turn their nose up to soaked beet of any kind...they once stole some beet flakes and vomited. They like dry pellets.
 I feed my ram best quality hay and extra energy crystalix licks through winter with a handful of  beet pellets to get him in. Keeps his condition on very well so far.

[mart2671]

I have fed ewe rolls  ( size of your thumb feed on ground ) 16% to18% protein ( depending on time year )to both commercial and pedigree flock for 20 plus years with no ill effects at all and at £6.85 a 25kg bag they are good value  . Have also fed sugar beet nuts dry to both ewes and rams and fattening lambs and pedigree dairy goats with top yields well over 2000 kg in 305 days   with no ill effects  for more years than i can go back at £5.50 a 25kg sack also good value . Often all these mixes nuts are basically the same compound make up when u look at the analysis on the label , and products in fancy looking bags are often a lot dearer as you have to pay for that fancy looking bag . You will also pay alot more for mixes than nuts . Do ur research when u go to ur feed merchant and look at the analysis on the bag that's my advice .

[Mallows Flock]

Mart.... I wanna know where you bought your beet from! he cheapest I have bought it for is £7.50 for 20kg!!!!!!
Haven't seen ewe rolls in YEARS!!!! Must have to hunt some down for this winter!

[Brucklay]

I've just been to the feed store and asked re protein level etc
Ewe nuts 18% £10.66 - 25kg
Ewe rolls 18% £10.61 - 25kg
Sheep crunch mix 17% £12.38 - 25kg
Rowett Tup 18% £14.21 - 25kg
Beet Shreds £7.50 - 20kg
Beet Pellets £9.20 - 25kg


I've always given sheep crunch (but not too much) to supplement hay in the winter but even then I thinking my primitive may be getting too much protein - should I be making a special mix for them or just stick with a little crunch?

[Mallows Flock]

OMG your store is even dearer than mine Brucklay! LOL! We all need to start shopping at Mart's store!

[shep53]

 


Do they have to be shreds? And do they have to be soaked?  What is the benefit of soaking?
      Shreds have always been cheaper than nuts, for ram breeders the need is to get the most food into a ram safely , dried beet pulp swells and doubles in mass. so soaking it and then feeding means when the stomach is full no more swelling happens.   Beet pulp is use full  for training lambs to trough feed as even when wet  or a day old its still palatable unlike concentrates .                                                           WOW  Brucklay  i know you are only buying small amounts , but nearly  £500 a tonne for the crunch .  Why  no 16% feed on your list ??

[Brucklay]

Shep53 - they didn't stock - or maybe I didn't ask the right questions re % - I've always done crunch by the handful for the past few year so not very scientific and thought I should look into the options further and what would be best/appropriate.


We've had great lambs and no problems but still on a big learning curve.


I did ask for all the sheep feed info  - will badger them again next week. The shreds did say to be soaked on the sack but the lady in the store said often they are given not soaked but again here is my dilema - belevie the packed or the store!!