[Jacob-list] Rammed !

[MView16 at aol.com]

When I was at Cornell with one of my ewes (who had been overfed grain by my 
non-shepherd husband) , the vet in charge told me that he saw no reason to 
feed grain to primitive breeds of sheep, and most especially males...that 
they did very well on a good grass hay, pasture, and minerals.  At first I 
felt he was very wrong until I realized that the presence of me and grain in 
a pen of Jacob or Shetland rams created behavioral havoc.  They either 
attacked me or each other or their guardian donkey.  After I was knocked cold 
by getting whacked in the throat by a ram (my sweetest one, by the way) while 
I was bending down to feed him, I decided to try the no-grain advice.  The 
rams were the picture of health, very fit, and much less of a problem.  I fed 
hay over the fence as described by Joy Farm and always carried a "weapon"--or 
stout branch with protruding sticks--when I walked about with the guys.  The 
boys were so wary of me that once they were captured for any procedure, they 
would act terrified and dead.  I did not trust them...and I'm sure they did 
not trust me.

As for my ewes, I fed them only a cup of grain per day each in the 4 weeks 
before and after lambing.  The lambs got a little grain in the 4 weeks after 
they were weaned.  I purchased wonderful grass hay for all and have good, 
improved pasture.  I had very healthy animals.

Jeanne Massey
Marsh View Farm
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