Author Topic: sheep licks (Read 4073 times)

mebnandtrn · « **on:** October 19, 2017, 03:06:53 pm »

Another daft question!!! Last year we bought a Hi Mag mineral lick bucket for the ewes. On putting it in the field they fought to get their heads in the bucket and licked it quite a bit. But only for a day. Then it went untouched, with no sheep touching it. (You could tell when they licked it because they had brown lips!!) It was outside, so after a few dry weeks it filled with rain water and was never touched by the sheep again. Should we have put it under cover? And how do we get them to actually lick it? Many thanks.

TheSmilingSheep · « **Reply #1 on:** October 19, 2017, 03:50:14 pm »

As I understand it sheep will 'know' when / if to use licks - so they just need ad lib access.
I suspect that they are not dissimilar from the proverbial thirsty horse

I think womble has some good posts showing DIY covers for licks....

Backinwellies · « **Reply #2 on:** October 19, 2017, 04:17:38 pm »

My sheep and cows rarely use a mag bucket .... several left abandoned about. But they love energy buckets .... same as us forget the lettuce just give us the chocolate!

twizzel · « **Reply #3 on:** October 19, 2017, 05:04:47 pm »

I think I read somewhere that mag buckets are a bit bitter in taste. Our mag bucket will last well into next year- put it away now until the spring. They have general purpose mineral bucket at all times and energy buckets for tupping/lambing.

Nelson International · « **Reply #4 on:** October 19, 2017, 08:17:11 pm »

I got one the other day, and the label said "15g per sheep per day" or something similar. I was bemused - how are you supposed to control how much they have - it's either in the field or it isn't.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #5 on:** October 19, 2017, 08:36:55 pm »

Quote from: Nelson International on October 19, 2017, 08:17:11 pm

I got one the other day, and the label said "15g per sheep per day" or something similar. I was bemused - how are you supposed to control how much they have - it's either in the field or it isn't.

Lol. It's so that folks with big flocks can estimate how long they'll last. They generally say to put out at one block per 50 sheep, or some such.

Womble · « **Reply #6 on:** October 19, 2017, 09:09:48 pm »

Quote from: TheSmilingSheep on October 19, 2017, 03:50:14 pm

I think womble has some good posts showing DIY covers for licks....

Yup, try this thread for details of how to make covers for salt (block) licks.

For the crystalix type buckets, I made a sort of bus shelter thingy for them out of scraps of wood. It's just big enough to fit over the bucket (which sits on the ground) and keep the rain off, but the ewes can still get their heads in for a good lick. It works very well.