[Jacob-list] grass vs. grain

[dbennet954 at earthlink.net]

This is our fourth year with Jacobs and each year we have tried feeding 
a different way to observe the results. The first year, they had browse 
(there was no actual pasture - they were clearing land for us of 
blackberries, poison oak, lower limbs of fir trees, etc) and approx 1 lb 
a day a piece of Nutrena 14% allbreed. We learned, too high a protein 
content  causes their wool to be coarse.
The second year they had browse, supplemented with grass hay and 
allbreed mixed with corn to cut the protein content. We got better 
fleeces, but a couple of the ewes got too fat on the corn mixture and we 
had to pull some big babies.
The third year we continued with the above, but cut the grain to 1/2 lb 
a day per ewe and then increased it 1lb per day during lactation. We 
were offered pasture space for six ewes during lactation and they came 
home 10 weeks later, fatter on pasture only than the ewes we kept at 
home.
This year, we have more grass pasture and feeding them 1/2 lb a day of 
allbreed/corn mix, all the 2 to four year old ewes are fat and I am 
getting ready to move them to a separate pasture to control their diet, 
so I don't have to pull lambs. I plan to continue to grain supplement 
the thinner, older ewes and pregnant ewe lambs.
Debbie Bennett
Feral Fibre
>
> Good nutrition means nutrition that meets requirements.  High protein 
> can be bad
> nutrition.  I think each management situation needs to analysed 
> individually.  It's
> so interesting to read how many different ways of sheep husbandry are 
> practiced by
> Jacob breeders. This is an adaptable breed and they seem to flourish in 
> all sorts of
> conditions when managed by responsible shepherds.
>
> When your sheep are relying on grain/hay, your best doers will be your 
> most
> aggressive ewes.  I have often had to rely on grain/hay most of the 
> year and had to
> really think about this.  By selecting for the best doers, I was 
> actually selecting
> for the ones that were the pushiest at the feed trough.
>
> Linda