[Jacob-list] re: grain for sheep and question about overweight sheep

[Heather Hettick]

I only give mine grain to catch them and during the last month of pregnancy
if they look like they need it.  I had an overweight ewe pregnant with twins
who I found in early stages of ketosis when I was feeding just hay and
occasional grazing this winter and my vet suggested feeding grain to prevent
further problems.  I continued some grain into lactation and tried to get my
bummer lamb to eat creep feed with limited success but when the grass took
off, I quit feeding grain and creep and the sheep all look enormously fat
and their fleeces are just fine.  The hardest part of producing good fleeces
for me is keeping them clean while they are in the barn over the winter but
allowing them to get outside as much as possible seemed to help.  I also
give them as much loose sheep salt as they want and I occasionally
"supplement" them with thistles and dandelions from my gardens because they
really like them and I don't.

I have a question too.  Is there any way to keep a sheep from getting
overweight on lush pasture besides locking her in the barn and feeding just
hay?  I have a yearling ewe who failed to conceive last year and she is a
little tank.  I am really worried that this extra weight will affect her
health or ability to reproduce this fall.  I'm actually hesitant to wean my
lambs for fear that their mothers will become really fat too.  We have had a
lot more rain this year and the pasture is growing like crazy.  We don't
need any more hay and my husband doesn't want to pay someone to cut it this
year so he's been mowing to keep it under control.  I keep telling him I
just need more sheep, but he doesn't like that solution.

Heather Hettick - Moonstruck Jacob Sheep
OSU ATI
Hettick.1 at osu.edu
-----Original Message-----
From: jacob-list-admin at jacobsheep.com
[mailto:jacob-list-admin at jacobsheep.com]On Behalf Of SharHill at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2000 9:41 AM
To: jacob-list at jacobsheep.com
Subject: [Jacob-list] re: grain for sheep

Just to change the subject from chickens, I was wondering if feeding some
grain to the sheep even in the summer when plenty of grass is available
makes
them healthier and does it improve the quality of their fleece?  I am
raising
sheep for handspinning, mainly, so I want their fleece to be in as good
shape
as possible.  I give them a little grain every day and they always act as if
they are starving to death even though there is grass every where and they
have enough padding on their bones.

Thanks,
Sharon

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