Smallholders Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Feeding straights  (Read 2657 times)

heyhay1984

  • Joined Jun 2014
Feeding straights
« on: April 06, 2015, 11:29:21 am »
Hi all, first time poster but long time lurker! I run a small school 'farm', pet sheep and ducks, a couple of weaners a year for sausages, chickens, do a bit of showing.

We're rehoming a Pygmy goat (long story but it's on its own at mo so won't be any worse off with/next door to the sheep until we find a pal for her, she's old and her original pal has died) too, and my thoughts have turned to summer feeding, we always give a tiny bit of sheep feed to keep them hand tame which is obviously important in the school situation.

Rather than having a bag of sheep crunch, a bag of Pygmy goat food, a bag of mixed corn for the ducks (it's a batchelor group so no layers needed), all open for ages due to the small amount each animal gets in the summer, deteriorating, would I be better keeping, say, a bag of wheat and a bag of oats and using that for the sheep, goats and ducks?

Obviously the pigs will stay on their pig nuts and horse carrots but they could always have a bit of the straights mixed in for variety, I like to scatter feed them when it's dry.

Thanks for any advice and opinions- if sticking to several bags is the better option then that's not a problem but thought I'd put the idea out there!

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Feeding straights
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2015, 08:21:06 pm »
I'll bump this up for you ' the sheep would  be ok on the corn fed whole and the ducks  but a goat is above my pay grade :innocent:

clydesdaleclopper

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Feeding straights
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2015, 08:37:44 pm »
My goats get oats and barley but they also get alfalfa so that I can balance the calcium phosphorous ratio for them
Our holding has Anglo Nubian and British Toggenburg goats, Gotland sheep, Franconian Geese, Blue Swedish ducks, a whole load of mongrel hens and two semi-feral children.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Feeding straights
« Reply #3 on: April 07, 2015, 09:20:43 pm »
the goaty girl will love carrots - cut into long thin sticks so she can pick them up easily (not slices). I don't have pygmies, but from the many I see in photos that are somewhat overweight, I think she may be fine with mostly hay and carrots with only a very small amount of oats.

heyhay1984

  • Joined Jun 2014
Re: Feeding straights
« Reply #4 on: April 07, 2015, 10:31:39 pm »
Thanks all for your replies  :thumbsup: goaty is in pretty good condition having met her tonight but definitely don't want any fatties of any species, but food is a great way to make and keep friends!

So pigs on pig nuts and carrots and maybe a sprinkle of oats and wheat as a scatter feed
Sheep and goats on the same mouthful oats and carrots each (tho the sheep are a bit thick about veggies)
Batchelor ducks on wheat and oats

Nobody on sticky molasses mixes and not many feed bags open at a time, sounds good to me!

clydesdaleclopper

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Feeding straights
« Reply #5 on: April 07, 2015, 10:59:16 pm »
just something to be aware of with feeding wheat to the ducks - it is fairly low in linoleic acid (it has 1/2 the amount of corn) and a deficiency of this can cause poor growth and pale skin.
Our holding has Anglo Nubian and British Toggenburg goats, Gotland sheep, Franconian Geese, Blue Swedish ducks, a whole load of mongrel hens and two semi-feral children.

Buttermilk

  • Joined Jul 2014
Re: Feeding straights
« Reply #6 on: April 08, 2015, 07:51:45 am »
I would not be feeding wheat to the goat or sheep personally but whole oats should be fine for all species.

Sbom

  • Joined Jul 2012
  • Staffordshire
Re: Feeding straights
« Reply #7 on: April 08, 2015, 10:48:06 am »
I worked at a place and they fed whole wheat in large quantities to sheep with no problems at all, couldn't comment on goats though....

heyhay1984

  • Joined Jun 2014
Re: Feeding straights
« Reply #8 on: April 08, 2015, 06:04:38 pm »
Looks like it'll just be oats all round then, lovely! I have put the little goat in with last year's North Ronaldsay ewe lamb- the sheep is definitely not the boss! Going to try my quiet wether in with them tomorrow too then the bolshy ewe and naughtier wether when timing seems right.

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS