The fiber strands in alfalfa are longer than those found in grass hays, as well. Timothy is another top quality hay to feed sheep and other livestock. This is the type of hay that thoroughbred horses are often fed. This hay offers a high forage diet, which often includes perennial grass bunches.
This type of hay offers a quality balance of both protein and energy producing nutrients. This type of hay is a lot better for horses than for sheep or for goats. It is lower in protein and energy producing nutrients than alfalfa hay, but is higher in fiber content. Sheep and other varieties of livestock tend to love cereal grain hay because it is sweet.
Oat hay offers a high percentage of carbohydrates, a high fiber content, but is low in protein. Because sheep will consume the entire leaf and stem of each blade of oat hay, there is nearly nothing wasted from the plant. This type of hay is also a rich source of zinc, manganese, and phosphorus.
A mixture of oat hay and alfalfa at a 1 to 5 ratio is often recommended for sheep and other ruminants. The most common livestock grass hay varieties include Bermuda, ryegrass, brome, and fescue.
This type of grass hay is often cheaper to purchase than alfalfa, orchard, or Timothy hay. As with all types of grass hays, Bermuda has lower digestible energy content and protein levels that other top types of legume style livestock hay varieties. Treats, even healthy ones, should be fed to sheep only in small amounts on an occasional basis. I use healthy snacks to train our free ranging herd to come to the barn for put up, and to prepare them for handling during shearing, hoof trimming, and for medical treatment.
Grain feed should also only be given as a small supplement to a healthy hay-based diet. I use an All Stock variety that can be fed to the rest of our animals for the sake of expediency, safety — so no one accidentally gives out the wrong feed to the wrong animal, and for a cost savings. Buying feed in bulk from an agricultural supply store instead of just picking up one or two bags a week can save a lot of money over the course of the year.
You do not necessarily have to buy healthy snacks for your herd of sheep, you can grow them. Print this page. Keeping your goats healthy Healthy goats have good appetites, glossy coats, clear, bright eyes, and are interested in everything around them. The benefits of microchipping your pet Every day, animals go missing.
Sadly, many are never reunited with their owners, simply because of a lack of identification. A microchip gives your pet the best chance of being reunited with you if they become lost or stolen. Is a dog the right companion animal for you? Dogs can make delightful pets, but before you decide to take on this new responsibility, please look into and consider carefully the needs of dogs and remember that these animals will rely on you to meet their needs every day of the year.
Can't find what you're looking for? Select a centre Search now. Beginning 6—8 weeks before lambing, the plane of nutrition should be increased gradually and continued without interruption until after lambing. The amount offered depends on the condition or fat covering of the ewes and quality of the forage. If ewes are in fair to good condition, 0. The roughage content of the ration should provide all the protein required for all nonlactating ewes.
If necessary, the ewes may be classified according to age, condition, and number of fetuses and divided into groups for different treatment. Succulent pasture furnishes adequate energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals for ewes and lambs; no added grain is necessary. When pasture is not being used confinement rearing , ewes should be fed one of the rations outlined for pregnant ewes in Rations for Pregnant Ewes up to 6 Weeks Before Lambing Rations for Pregnant Ewes up to 6 Weeks Before Lambing Sheep make excellent use of high-quality roughage stored either as hay or low-moisture, grass-legume silage or occasionally chopped green feed.
Ewes should have access to a mixture of trace mineralized salt and dicalcium phosphate. Under confinement rearing or accelerated lambing, lambs may be weaned at 2 months of age. Where pasture is limited, they should be creep-fed for 1—2 months until adequate forages are available. If pasture will not be available until the lambs are 3—4 months old, they can be finished in a dry lot. The grain used should be ground coarse or rolled, but as the feeding period progresses, whole grains may be used.
The amount of grain is increased gradually until the lambs are on full feed. Feeding lambs from birth to market in a dry lot, together with early weaning at 2—3 months of age, has become more popular throughout the USA. Such lambs usually reach market weight in 3. See table: Creep Rations for Suckling and Early-weaned Lambs Creep Rations for Suckling and Early-weaned Lambs Sheep make excellent use of high-quality roughage stored either as hay or low-moisture, grass-legume silage or occasionally chopped green feed.
Orphaned lambs, extras, triplets, or those from poor-milking ewes can be raised on milk replacers to improve productivity. If ewe colostrum is unavailable, a frozen, pooled supply from several cows can be used. Under certain conditions, it may be advisable to inject orphaned lambs with vitamins A, D, and E and selenium. In hand rearing systems, ewe milk replacers are preferable; however, good quality replacers designed for calves may be fed to lambs.
When mixing milk replacers, care should be taken to ensure that the powder and water are properly mixed into a suspension. The number of feedings can be reduced over time to twice a day by 3—4 weeks of age.
Multiple-nipple pails or containers can be used. Cold milk replacer can be used by older lambs who nurse more often. By 9—10 days of age, lambs should be given water in addition to the milk if a creep ration is offered.
They can be weaned abruptly at 4—5 weeks of age if consumption of creep feed and water intake is at a reasonable level. This includes starting on feed, vaccinating, worming, and under some conditions, shearing.
If this is not done, the lambs should be rested for several days and fed dry, average-quality hay after arrival at the feedlot. See table: Recommended Formulas for Finishing Lambs a Recommended Formulas for Finishing Lambs a Sheep make excellent use of high-quality roughage stored either as hay or low-moisture, grass-legume silage or occasionally chopped green feed.
There is no best method or diet for finishing lambs. They may be finished on good to excellent quality forage alfalfa, wheat with no supplemental grain. They may be started on pasture or crop residue and moved to grain feeding systems as the forage is used up.
When fed in a dry lot, they are usually allowed free access to feedstuffs. Self-feeding usually results in maximal feed intake and gain, with reduced labor costs. Hand-feeding can be mechanized with an auger system or self-unloading wagon. It involves feeding at regular intervals so that the lambs consume all the feed before more feed is offered.
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