Author Topic: Sheep advice please - hay/barley straw & insurance (Read 3568 times)

Oopsiboughtasheep · « **on:** August 10, 2014, 10:44:22 pm »

After my 'accidental' sheep purchase recently, I now have my CPH and Flock number so can move them here soon. I know that I won't need to feed them hay until the winter (? Only if it snows/ground is hard?) but I have read that it is also OK to give them barley straw to eat. Is this OK for them? I am just about to order in some hay for the horses for winter and barley straw for the 'soon to be arriving' donkeys and wondered what is best to add to this order for my sheep? They are 2 RyleandxTexel ewes which were born this year and they will only be pets/mowers. Or maybe I should order hay for them to eat and straw for bedding (they will have access to an airy field shelter). I know I shouldn't feed 'new' hay but does is apply to straw as well?

Also, do I need to have insurance incase they escape and cause damage? This hadn't occurred to me until someone asked me this today. Sorry so many questions....there is so much to learn.....!
Thankyou in advance for your help

shygirl · « **Reply #1 on:** August 10, 2014, 10:54:32 pm »

I wouldnt sleep at night without insurance. i insure with NFU but its not cheap, but worth it.
we always fed our sheep hay or haylage. our goats would eat straw sometimes but i dont think it has enough energy in it really.

Are they pet sheep? breeders? stores? is your grazing good or rough? are you wanting them to put on weight or lose it?

Oopsiboughtasheep · « **Reply #2 on:** August 10, 2014, 11:06:55 pm »

Thank you Shygirl,

I'll look into the NFU Insurance tomorrow then, thanks for that.
They will just be pets but as they will still have some growing to do I want to be sure to give them the right thing during the winter. We have loads of good grazing thankfully so that's not a problem, it just won't be as nutritious for them in the winter. Do I feed them hay each day like I would the horses or only if its snowy/frosty?

Fleecewife · « **Reply #3 on:** August 10, 2014, 11:14:22 pm »

We give our sheep adlib hay all winter - they won't OD on it, but they may drop quite a lot on the ground then they won't eat it, even if you put it back in the feeder. I doubt they will need ewe pencils or similar though as you won't be breeding from them, so they will have a tendency to get fat.

We use barley straw for bedding and they do like it and often eat it, but as you say there's not much nutrition in it, and it's hard on the teeth, so not ideal for sheep you hope to keep for a while.

Yes, get insurance as even one sheep can cause an accident.

Me · « **Reply #4 on:** August 11, 2014, 08:56:37 am »

As a rule of thumb if the straw is shiny they will eat it fine and it can be comparable to poorer hay

Oopsiboughtasheep · « **Reply #5 on:** August 11, 2014, 03:38:31 pm »

Thank you 'Fleecewife' and 'Me' That's very helpful information about the hay and the straw.

I have enquired today about NFU insurance but they weren't remotely interested insuring my 2 sheep! Only if I transferred all my stable and property insurance over to them, which was very annoying as their quote for my stables originally was prohibitive so I don't want to do that. So I will have to make other enquiries regarding insurance for my sheep.