[Jacob-list] Chickens & Sheep

[Purrfleece Farms]

I have pictures of my ewes laying outside the fence when the chicks were young and weren't allowed to roam (sort of like step-mothering the chicks).  The chickens have been free-ranging since early January and when I went down yesterday, I found two of the younger sheep (1 ram and 1 ewe) laying outside the sheep pasture totally surrounded by chickens.

My problem with sheep eating chicken feed is just that they steal the food.  Both get cracked corn (called "chops") while the chicks are still getting chick starter now.  The Jacob rams have a nasty habit of charging the feed containers (all of my containers are plastic garbage cans).  All my cans are in the open but once a ram clears a fence, then they can be one that charges the containers.  While I was in Washington over Christmas, the sheep totally destroyed a rigid garbage container that wasn't full and thus could flex in the cold temperatures (or at least try to flex and crack instead).

While I have a fondness for brown egg layers, for all varieties realize that it will be about 6 months before you start to get some eggs back for your feed dollar.   I don't know where you live but if you live in an area with ticks, etc, you will find that the chickens are expert insect eaters and can drastically reduce the tick population while they roam.  They will return to the chicken house at night, usually just before dusk.  I have to lock mine up because of varmints(all sort of 4 legged ones).

Rich
Purrfleece Farms
pfarms at alltel.net



  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: ACAMDA at aol.com 
  To: jacob-list at jacobsheep.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2004 10:40 AM
  Subject: [Jacob-list] Chickens & Sheep


  Do any of you keep chickens with or near your sheep?  

  My daughter's science class is planning to hatch a clutch of chicken eggs, but only if the chicks will have a home afterwards.  We can bring them home, but the only place we have to put them is in with our flock. We can build a separate small henhouse for them to roost, but don't know if in the bigger picture it's a good idea.  I remember the e-mail about the sheep getting into the chicken feed, so I know to watch for that (I assume it would the copper content that would be a concern).  Would the chicken litter be a problem, or do sheep hate chickens? 

  Anyone out there with any experience with chicks and sheep? 

  Thanks!

  Kathey
  Sweet Georgia Valley 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.pairlist.net/pipermail/jacob-list/attachments/20040128/e3ab2231/attachment.htm